Astrid the (fake) princess
by httydhiccstridrtte
Summary: She knew she wasn't really a princess. Underneath the make up and the dress was a normal servant. She couldn't keep pretending. All she was meant to do was pretend to be a princess for a few hours then go on a flight with Stormfly. Falling in love with a Prince was never part of the plan.
1. Being persuaded

"Princess Heather it really won't be that bad"

"But Astrid, you've never been to one!"

"Not true, we've been servers ar them before" Ruffnut pointed out

Astrid sighed, bringing out yet another gown from the princess's wardrobe.

"What about this one?"

Princess Heather hesitated, giving the dress a glance "I don't think so"

Both Astrid and Ruffnut groaned in frustration.

"Princess, that's the seventh dress you've said no to!"

"None of them seem right"

"With all due respect, it is quite important you choose a gown now. This really should have been done months ago, but you ditched all your fittings. Now you have to choose an old one"

"It's just hard to know which dress is right for an event I despise so much"

The event was the annual royals ball. It was attended by kingdoms all across the Archipelago. In earlier years the princess had been overjoyed when the royal bal came around. She loved being able to see her other royal friends. Whilst Heather had many friends there were a group of four who she stuck with the most. Prince Fishlegs, Prince Snotlout, Princess Atali and Prince Hiccup. The princess loved their company. When Heather had stopped enjoying the balls, Astrid initially assumed that she had been excluded or ostracised in some way. However, since then she'd served at one ball and saw the five royals laughing and talking as though everything was normal, confusing her further. Nobody knew why Heather loathed the event so much. For the past years she's returned in an increasingly foul mood.

"You know, there was a time when this ball was your favourite thing in the world" Ruffnut pointed out.

"That was before we all became of marrying age. Before there was so much pressure"

The 'Before my father died' remained unsaid.

Heather and Dagur's father suffered a sudden, tragic death. This thrust the siblings into positions they were fairly unprepared for. Dagur had become the king whilst Heather remained as princess. Heather had felt a strong sense of duty to guide her people through a time of despair, all the while dealing with her own grief, adding more pressure to her role. Beserker Island was in a better place now. They were celebrating the union of Dagur and Queen Mala from Defender of the Wing Island. Although they had some impressions of each other at first, they somehow managed to fall in love. Still in the honeymoon period, Dagur volunteered to host the ball, much to Heather's dismay.

"All my brother cares about is marrying me off to another prince. I wouldn't marry any of them" The princess complained.

"No one?" Astrid grinned putting the dress away "Not even a certain prince from the Ingerman household?"

The dark haired girl began to blush as Astrid and Ruffnut burst into laughter.

"Fine, maybe I would consider marrying Prince Fishlegs. But he is not the man Dagur wants me to marry. Prince Hiccup is"

"Well of course he does! Who wouldn't want to marry the man who managed to unite man and dragon alike?" Ruffnut exclaimed

"He's a fine young man and a wonderful friend but I don't want to marry him. And he does not wish to marry me either"

"Well who does he want to marry?"

"He's not found a bride yet. He briefly courted Princess Camicazi from the Bobs Burglar tribe but that was short lived."

"I don't understand your complaint. You've got lines of attractive men wishing to marry you! Plus you get free food!"

"Oh Ruffnut" Heather sighed "You wouldn't understand"

"I always thought going to the royal ball would be fun" Astrid confessed quietly, looking through the many dresses, wondering which ones she'd already shown.

Astrid turned to show Heather another gown and found her grinning.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You should come to the ball!"

The blonde servant girl froze and accidentally dropped the gown to the floor. Once she'd realised what she'd done she instantly scrambled to pick it up "What are you talking about?"

"You should pose as a princess and come to the ball!"

"Princess Heather, please think about what you are saying. Posing as a princess... The idea is absurd. Tell her Ruffnut!" She looked to her other friend for support.

"I like the idea!"

"I should have seen that coming" she muttered to her herself, the plan was crazy, and Ruffnut loved crazy. She looked between the two of them "I could never pass as a princess"

"Sure you could! With the right dress and a touch of make up you could most definitely look like a royal!" Heather exclaimed excitedly.

"So could Ruffnut! And she clearly wants to go more than me!" The blonde serving girl pointed out.

"Yes, she could but she would not be able to act as one" She then turned to Ruffnut "No offence Ruff"

"None taken" Ruffnut dismissed "Come on Astrid, live a little"

"I don't know how to act like a princess"

"Sure you do! You're respectful, kind, you do as you're told, all you need is a few etiquette lessons"

"The ball is in a few hours, I'll never learn in time"

"Stay near me, if a situation arises I'll tell you whatever you need to know "

"I don't know..." Astrid hesitated "I wasn't raised amongst royals I'll more than likely stand out in some way. All I am is a servant-"

"Helper!"

Heather had an odd aversion to the term 'servant'. She found the term degrading and refused to call anyone under her power a servant. While the objection was sweet, it did not make Astrid's words untrue. If you stripped her job role down to it's essentials, servant really was the most suitable title. It didn't upset Astrid. She'd learnt to be content with her life long ago. It was why she didn't want to be a princess for even a night. She didn't want to be a living reminder of the person she could never become

"Please Astrid" Heather began gently "If you don't enjoy it you can leave. You don't even have to come back and serve, you can get on Stormfly and fly away for the rest of the night"

Astrid sighed, realising she was going to lose this argument "You two won't let this go will you?"

They both shook their head as she groaned with frustration.

"Fine! I will be a princess but _only_ for a few hours!"

"Yay!"

And from that moment, the story began.

 ** _So I've never written fanfiction for the httyd fandom but I've been part of this fandom for ages!_**

 ** _Recently I've had lots of ideas for stories and decided to start off with this one! Im really excited •_**

 ** _Please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)_**

 ** _Should I continue this story? :)_**


	2. The Royal Ball

She was really here.

The entire thing felt surreal. For years and years she'd dreamed of being in this position. To dance amongst the princes and chatter with the princesses. She'd imagined being in this position a thousand times.

Yet, here she was, and she was a million miles away.

Heather and Ruffnut found an old gown of Heather's that was never worn. It was a beautiful sky blue colour that flowed from the waist to the floor and had elegant lace patterns on the skirt.That plus all the make up she had begrudgingly agreed to wear, she barely recognized herself. She felt truly beautiful, and that was strange for her.

It's not that she felt unattractive. However, when all you ever wear is rags and the closest you have to makeup is dirt on your cheeks, you can only feel so pretty.

She wasn't exactly sure why she was so distracted. Maybe it was because she was older. Astrid understood the world a lot better than she did before. There were politics to society. Just because Heather was nice to her servants, didn't mean every royal was. She'd experienced such unpleasantness in other trips to different tribes. Just because she was a guest, it didn't mean that she deserved to be treated like the royals. No matter where she was, she would always be the help.

That was the problem. She knew the truth. She knew that the gown and the makeup was all just a facade. Tomorrow she would put on her rags and this night would be a distant memory. All the attention she was getting from royals had nothing to do with her. It was her appearance. She looks like a royal so people love her and treat her with respect. Every other year she's been a servant and nobody's given a damn about her.

She was so consumed by these thoughts, she didn't even notice the young, attractive prince of Berk making his way towards her and holding out his hand.

"May I have this dance, milady?"

Almost on instinct, she turned around to see who he was really asking. Astrid assumed that he must have been asking someone behind her. It's not like he was asking her. She was only a...

... Princess. She was a princess for the night. Right, she'd forgotten about that. Slightly bewildered, she turned back to him.

"M-me?"

He chuckled, a sound that seemed to be music to Astrid's ears "Yes you"

She merely nodded and took his hand. It was still unbelievable to her that she was dancing with Prince Hiccup. As Ruffnut had said earlier, he was the man who managed to unite man and dragon alike. And _she_ was dancing with him.

He led her gently to the dance floor and the pair began to sway in time to the music "I don't think I've seen you at this ball before"

"Well with so many kingdoms attending the ball I suppose you can't meet everyone" She reasoned quickly "But I also haven't been attending the ball for the past few years"

"Really?" He asked "Why is that?"

"I've been travelling on behalf of my father. I only returned for good recently."

"For good?"

"I've been home once or twice to see my people and my father, but often I've returned after the ball"

"Wow. Where have have you been traveling?"

"Everwhere. My dragon nornally decides where we go" She laughed.

"That's amazing! Why has it taken so long?"

"I've only had dragon and boat to travel by. It can take quite a long time but I've also liked to stay in the cultures I visited. Get to know the society"

The story sounded too good to be true, and that's because it was. Astrid wasn't stupid, she knew that a random princess showing up after Thor knows how many years would look suspicious. Heather and her had come up with this backstory basing it off of Astrid's very own dreams. Oh, how she wished this story could be true.

"I must admit, I am envious of your adventures princess. I wish I could do the same with my dragon"

"And your dragon is...?"

Of course she knew which dragon he rode, a majestic Night fury called Toothless. Everyone knew that. But she was posing as a princess returning after three years of travelling. She had to keep things realistic.

"The Night fury, his name is Toothless"

"Of course, how could I forget? Prince Hiccup, infamous dragon rider. Managed to befriend the one and only night fury in existence. No wonder the other princesses have been all over you" She joked lightly.

"T-they have not been all over me!" he defended poorly.

A scoff left her mouth before she could stop it "You haven't noticed?"

"I-I haven't really n-noticed any other girls t-tonight"

It would have come off as smooth had he not blushed and stuttered the whole time. Astrid didn't mind, she found it cute, endearing even. So cute and endearing that now she was also blushing. She needed to change the subject. Fast.

"I think I might have seen your dragon earlier whilst I was tending to my own. I must admit, I did not expect a night fury to be so playful"

"Well that's Toothless for you, offspring of lightening and death, but still a complete softie"

"I suppose all dragons are like that in a way, without the offspring of lightening and death part" she giggled. "I just mean that they're fierce beasts in battle but extremely playful outside of battle. They really do make wonderful companions"

He began to grin which confused Astrid.

"What is it?"

"It's just very nice to hear someone call the dragons companions instead of pets"

"Well they're not pets. They are intelligent, beautiful creatures that comprehend emptions much better than any pet ever could" she said, eyes shining with happiness "Sometimes, when I'm feeling overwhelmed or upset or even angry, I look at Stormfly and I just say 'Take me anywhere girl' and when she does, it's marvellous. No pet could do that"

Astrid was taken by surprise when Hiccup spun her out then pulled her closer to him once more "I couldn't agree more"

From then on they danced in a comfortable silence. Her heart was racing and she couldn't quite figure out why. She knew better than to fall for a prince. It would do her no good. It's not like it would ever amount to anything. Tomorrow he would probably forget her.

Why would she set herself up for heartbreak?

xxxx

She missed dancing with him.

After the song had ended she had scurried off and began talking to Ruffnut and Heather. She and Heather didn't care about Ruffnut being a server. They were all humans at the end of the day. The only thing really separating them was the clothes on their backs.

Then before she knew it she was in a conversation with Prince Snotlout. She wasn't exactly sure how she'd ended up in this position. Prince Snotlout was arrogant and self-centred. All he did was talk about himself. He must have thought he was impressing her, when in reality she'd never been less impressed in her life. All she wanted to do was leave, but that would be impolite. Princesses weren't impolite.

Thankfully, as if he had read her mind, Thankfully, as if he had read her mind, Prince Hiccup approached them.

"Mind if I steal the princess?"

"Whatever" he dismissed looking at Astrid "You know where to find me babe"

He blew a kiss then walked away, making Astrid shudder. She turned to Prince Hiccup, who was grinning wildly.

"Would you like to take a stroll around the garden?"

Relief filled her "Oh gods yes"

xxxx

"So I realised something"

Astrid strolled about the garden idly, remembering all the times she'd watered these flowers "What is it?"

"I never caught your name earlier"

Of all the details she'd prepared, name was not one of them.

"What is your name princess?"

She could say her name was Astrid, he wouldn't know or recognise it. But Astrid was a name she related to boring routines and unfulfilled dreams. A name that reminded her of all her false hopes. She didn't want to be Astrid tonight.

"A secret" she covered swiftly "I like to keep a little mystery in my life"

"Curiouser and curiouser milady. I wish I could live a life like yours"

"Why can't you?"

"My father only really cares about marrying me off and making me king. He doesn't understand the excitement of exploring"

"I'm guessing you don't want to be king and get married?"

"Maybe one day, but not right now. I'm still so young. I'd rather go on adventures right now instead of settling down"

She nodded and then it went to another comfortable silence. It was peaceful and Astrid loved it.

"I noticed you talking to some of the servers earlier" He started a conversation again.

There were so many things she could have said to explain why she had spoken to other servers as well as Ruffnut. It would've been easy to lie and say she was just bossing them about. But she felt no need to lie with Hiccup.

"We're all humans at the end of the day"

Before he had been on the other end of the garden but all of a sudden he was next to her. Her heart began racing as he came closer to her.

"You have some extremely refreshing viewpoints milady"

Blood rushed to her cheeks "As do you Prince Hiccup"

Astrid had barely registered how close she and Hiccup were. She wasn't sure who initiated it. Whether it was herself or him. Either way, his face was inches from hers and her heartbeat was picking up massively. He kept leaning in until he stopped and looked at her hesitantly, as if he was asking for her permission. Kissing him would go against all her rules. The Astrid she knew would've stopped this by now.

But in that moment, she wasn't Astrid.

She stepped forward and boldly pressed her lips against the young prince's. She remained that way for a few seconds. After getting no reaction she assumed that she had misread the situation. Embarrassed, she began to pull away but before she could even begin to observe his reaction his lips trailed after hers and recaptured them eagerly.

A spark surged through Astrid as she slid her arms around his neck. She'd never kissed anyone before. Her regularlife didn't exactly have a lot of room for romance. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She savoured the moment, knowing it could never happen again.

Eventually they had to part for air. All they could do was stare and smile. The moment was short lived as Heather was heard calling Astrid in the background.

"Princess! You need to come back in! There is someone wishing to meet you!"

Astrid gently placed a hand on Hiccup's chest "Tonight was wonderful"

As she rushed back to Heather she vaguely heard the prince call after her about her name but she pretended not to hear.

What a crazy night.

xxxx

The next morning Astrid was still on cloud nine. The kiss was... Magical. It was soft, innocent, gentle. It was everything she ever wanted a first kiss to be. Every time she thought about the kiss with the prince, her lips tingled and her heart began to soar. In short, she felt as if she was walking on air.

But she crashed to the earth when she saw said prince sitting at a table eating breakfast and talking to other royals the next morning.

She found Heather as quick as possible and dragged her aside.

"What is Prince Hiccup still doing here?!"

At this, Heather raised an eyebrow "Didn't you remember? Prince Hiccup and the other royals are staying all week"

 ** _Wow you guys! I was not expecting such a positive response from the last chapter! I'm glad everyone likes this story! I'm sorry if I made this chapter too long!_**

 ** _So now Astrid has to make sure Hiccup doesn't recognise her... That should be interesting._**

 ** _As always_** **_pl_** ease feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)

 ** _Shohini :)_**


	3. Avoiding The Prince

"What are you talking about?!"

"Yes, all the royals are staying for the week, Dagur suggested it" Heather shrugged

"And why didn't you remind me of this last night?!"

"I thought you already knew, besides I don't see the problem" she shrugged confused.

Astrid took a deep breath to calm herself down. She may consider Heather a friend, but Heather was still a princess. There were many invisible barriers that she had to consider.

"Princess Heather" she began calmly "Did it ever occur to you that one of the royals may recognize me from last night?"

A look of realization crossed the princess's before she looked at Astrid apologetically "I didn't even think of that. I'm so sorry Astrid"

Staring at the guilty princess, she couldn't bring herself to blame her.

"It's not your fault" Astrid replied reassuringly "I should have known better than to pretend to be a princess in the first place"

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure"

"Well the dress is still at the back of my wardrobe..."

Astrid contemplated the idea briefly. Despite the trouble it had brought her, in the moment she had enjoyed wearing it. Plus, she would love to talk to Prince Hiccup a bit more...

But she couldn't. There were too many risks and she didn't need anymore problems. Getting caught, plot holes in her story...The cons, unfortunately, outweighed the pros.

Her rational mind taking over, Astrid said solemnly "No, no. That dress has caused me enough problems as it is. Besides, King Dagur knew nothing of last night's events and if he recognized me-"

"I could deal with that and explain things to him"

"Even so" Astrid persisted "I could barely act like a royal for one night. There is no way I'd be able to pull it off for a whole week. It's just too impractical"

Heather sighed "Point taken. So what other options do you have?"

"I suppose I'll have to avoid Prince Hiccup for the week" she paused "And Prince Snotlout, I talked to him too"

"To be honest, you'd probably be avoiding Prince Snotlout anyways"

That comment made Astrid laugh a little.

"I'll really just be avoiding the royals in general, I'm not sure if I spoke to anyone else"

"You don't have to avoid the royals. I doubt they'll recognize. You look nothing like you did last night"

"I don't know..." she hesitated

"Ruffnut!" Heather beckoned the other servant girl over to them "Could you come here for a moment?"

Ruffnut walked over to the pair "What can I help you with Princess?"

"Doesn't Astrid look completely different from last night?"

Ruffnut turned to Astrid, giving her a once over, then to looked back at Heather "Yup. She definitely looked a lot prettier last night"

"Ruff!"

"Well, it's true. She was dressing like a princess, obviously that would look prettier than dressing as a servant"

Unable to think of a decent argument, she murmured "You still should have worded it a bit nicer"

"No she shouldn't have" Astrid began "What she says is true. Last night I was prettier, fancier and more interesting. But it wasn't me. It was the person I pretended to be."

"But even if you don't want to be that person, they still may not recognize the real you"

"It's more than looks, they could recognize my voice or remember one of my habits from the other night, it's too risky."

"Look, the ball was wonderful, and that's how it should be left. I will forever remember it as a good night. As should Prince Hiccup. I want him to cherish the memory, and if he discovered the truth..." she paused as she blinked back tears "He would regret it"

"Astrid-" Heather began gently

"No" she hated getting emotional "Whether I like it or not, that is the truth of the matter. He can never know and I can not be around him. Please can you make sure of that?"

Heather hesitated but nodded "Well I was going to ask you to accompany the other royals and me to the forest in the afternoon but I suppose I could ask someone else instead"

"Thank you" Astrid said with a mix of relief and gratitude in her voice

"You could just tell him, I don't think he would regret it. He's not like that"

Astrid paused, choosing her words carefully "Everyone always seems like they'll be different from the rest, until they're actually given the chance prove it"

xxxx

"So what are you doing here with me?"

Astrid looked at the male twin before continuing with her work.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Princess Heather is out with all the other royals and you, the girl who Heather takes everywhere with her, are here washing old gowns"

"Heather does not take me everywhere with her" Astrid denied, ignoring the main point.

Tuffnut scoffs "Girl please"

Astrid simply rolled her eyes and dunked another gown into the tub of water in front of her.

"You guys are practically best friends"

"Are you hearing yourself right now? A princess and a servant being best friends? You sound insane"

"You should be used to it by now" He shrugged "And besides, is that as insane as a servant pretending to be a princess and dancing with a prince?"

Astrid looked up, half in panic and half in shock. She didn't want anyone else to know. The more people that knew the higher the risk of the information slipping out. She began trying to figure out how he found out. He hadn't been serving at the ball that night so he couldn't have recognized her. She hadn't said anything to give it away. So how...

Then it hit her.

"Ruffnut told you" she concluded

"Obviously" he confirmed as she inwardly groaned.

"Great" she muttered

"Don't worry about it A, your secret is safe with the old T-square" He gestured to himself dramatically.

Astrid managed to laugh, despite the knot forming in her stomach. She loved Tuffnut like a brother, but keeping secrets was not one of his strong suits.

"So is that why you're here then? Instead of with the other royals"

Astrid looked down and focused on the gown she was washing "It's just a precaution. In case one of the royals recognize me"

"So that's why you're here and my sister is with the other royals"

"Well she may have still been with the royals, regardless of the circumstances"

"I doubt it, Ruffnut's a total pig"

"Tuff!"

"What? She's my sister, I'm allowed to say that"

Astrid simply laughed and continued washing.

"I bet you'll be a real princess by the end of the month" He said after a short silence.

"No I won't, because Prince Hiccup will never know it was me"

"I still think you will be"

"Well that's very sweet of you. But now I'm going to move on with my life as anyone else would. You probably would"

"True, but I wasn't the one dancing with Prince Hiccup last night"

She raised an eyebrow "Touché"

She watched as pride surged across his face "Actually I believe it's pronounced tooshy"

Astrid opened her mouth to rebuttal but promptly closed, deciding to pick her battles. Instead, she simply sighed in bliss "It really was a beautiful night"

"Ooooh Astrid Hofferson has emotions!"

Astrid punched his arm "Shut up Tuffnut"

The maletwin rubbed his arm pouting "And she's back"

xxxx

Meanwhile the prince, the same Prince who's presence had made Astrid anxious all day, was sitting in the forest with other royals desperately trying to figure out who he had danced with the previous night.

Hiccup vaguely took in his surroundings, the dragons were off playing somewhere, Fishlegs was fawning over a plant, Atali was playing with her baby Razorwhip, Snotlout was admiring his reflection in a puddle and Heather was speaking to the helper she'd brought to accompany them, Ruffnut. He prayed one of them knew the princess.

He'd never seen her before, but he felt like he knew her. As cheesy as it sounded, he really felt a connection with the princess. There was just something about her that he trusted. Something about made him not act like himself, but in a good way. A very good way.

Hiccup was a jewel amongst the kingdoms. Labelled as the 'Dragon Master" almost everyone wished to speak to him. Ending an age old war at the age of 15 is fairly impressive. True, he had lost a leg in the process, but that was a small price to pay for the peace and happiness that his sacrifice had caused. Now, at the age of 18, people still discuss his triumphs. But 3 years of approval and praise didn't make up for 15 years of isolation.

His entire childhood he'd been shunned. Of course his royal status earned him a certain degree of respect but he still heard all the whispers. The whispers claiming that he was unfit to be king. Wondering how a man as mighty as his father ended up with a son as scrawny as him. It jolted his confidence. It filled him with doubt about his own self-worth. His father was not one to discuss emotions and neither was his mentor Gobber. His mother had disappeared from his life when he was only a baby, so he had no mother figure to confide in. And he had no friends around the village. All of this caused him to bottle up his feelings. He was finally good enough for everyone, men with complex emotions didn't get a good reputation.

Yet with her... It all just clicked. It was though he could tell her anything. Her eyes shined with sincerity and curiousity, and when he looked into them he never feared that she would judge him. Normally, he didn't open up to people. Not because he didn't want to, because at this point it was an instinct. But he shared his soul with her... And he wasn't quite sure why...

"Hiccup are you okay?"

Princess Atali's voice brought him back to earth. He flashed her a small smile that didn't completely meet his eyes.

"Yes I'm fine. I'm just... Thinking"

"About what?"

"About the princess he spent all night dancing with and talking to last night" Heather cut in smugly.

"Thank you for that Heather" he said, sarcasm dripping from his tone "But yes, I was thinking about the ball"

"Which princess is this?" Fishlegs asked, eyebrows raised.

"I don't know, she never gave me her name or even her kingdom"

"That's strange"

"She claimed that she liked to keep a little mystery in her life"

"Interesting"

"She was a little reserved, cautious evem"

"You guys are all ridiculous. I happened to speak to that princess and, let me tell you, she was _all_ over me" Snotlout said arrogantly.

The looks the group gave him spoke more than words ever could.

Hiccup's look then changed to one of eagerness "Did she give you her name?"

"Nope, used the mystery line on me too"

Hiccup sighed, it seemed as though nobody knew the name of the blond haired beauty.

"Wait a minute Heather" he turned to the princess in a final attempt "I saw you talking to her last night. Weren't you the one who called her in when she and I were in the garden?"

"She approached me hoping to make friends" she shrugged "I saw no reason to turn her away. But no, I did not get her name"

"Then how did you know someone wanted to meet her? Surely the man at least knew her name"

"No, I followed the description given and assumed it was her. Luckily, I was correct"

"So none of you know her?"

The group all shook their heads, much to Hiccup's dismay. He let out a heavy sigh. Atali smiled gently.

"Cheer up Hiccup. Just find her when we get back"

"That was my original plan. I looked for her at breakfast this morning but it was no use. I think she may have already left"

"Maybe she'll return next year" Fishlegs suggested.

"I'm not sure, the princess spoke a lot about travels. Who knows where she'll be next year"

"I'm assuming that's why you liked her" Heather said.

He looked at her confused "Huh?"

"She loves travelling, that must be why you like her so much"

He contemplated the implication for a few moments. Was that it? He would be lying if he said her carefree life did not attract him a little, but that wasn't the only reason he liked her.

"It was one thing among many that I liked about her, but I wouldn't call it the main reason"

"What would say is the main reason then?"

"Honestly, it was just... _her._ She was kind and understanding. It was as if I could tell her anything. And she didn't care about Toothless, I mean she did, but it wasn't the only thing she cared about. She wanted to get to know me, not the dragon master people have made me out to me. She accepted me. You guys, I think I may be in love"

At this point the other royals began laughing wildly. A look of offense crossed his face.

"Hiccup it was one night. You can't fall in love in a night" Snotlout said between laughs.

"You fell in love with your reflection in a minute" Hiccup shot back.

"That's different, it's _me"_

At this, Hiccup rolled his eyes. Heather offered a sympathetic smile whilst Fishlegs laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll find her eventually"

He wasn't so sure.

 ** _WOW! I AM SO SORRY!_**

 ** _I've been so busy studying I forgot to update! Apologies for the late chapter! Next one will be up sooner, I promise!_**

 ** _Poor Hiccup... What do you think wil happen next?_**

As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)

Shohini :)


	4. Midnight Encounters

"He was talking about you today"

Astrid kept a calm expression, despite the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling inside "It wasn't me, it was the princess"

"Same difference" the princess rolled her eyes.

"It's true though, dude was totally awe struck" Ruffnut cut in.

Astrid was unable to hide the blush spreading to her cheeks "You're exaggerating"

"She's not wrong Astrid, Hiccup definitely seemed enamoured with you, he even said he might be in love"

At this, she could not help but scoff "I think you're all mistaking brief infatuation with love"

"But he actually said the word 'love'!"

"And he is making the same mistake as everyone else. Emotions are extremely confusing"

"Is that why you pretend that you don't have any?" Princess Heather asked sharply

"I do not pretend to be emotionless. I just have control over my emotions. I'm realistic"

"But you don't allow yourself to dream! To hope!" She attempted to argue

"And what good would having hope do?" Astrid asked, her tone also becoming sharper. "Getting my hopes up just to have them shot down?"

"This time they wouldn't get shot down"

"Princess, he's not in love"

"But Astrid-"

"Look even if he did fall in love, he did not fall in love with _me_. He didn't fall in love with Astrid the servant. He fell in love with the mysterious princess, the one who travelled the world, the one who had a passion for exploring and the freedom to do so. That... That is just not me"

Heather chuckled lightly ""You keep saying that. You keep saying he fell in love with the mysterious princess and her travels. I thought the same but when I asked him, you want to know what I thought after he answered me?"

"What?"

"I really think he fell for the girl underneath the princess"

xxxx

 _"I really think he fell for the girl underneath the princess"_

Heather was wrong, she had to be. Prince Hiccup could not be in love with her. It was not realistic, not even practical.

She was wandering around the garden, the same area she had been in when she'd shared the kiss with the Prince. Astrid wasn't sure how she'd found herself in this particular spot, she supposed it held some level of sentiment now.

She wasn't emotionless, per say. Emotions were just something she wasn't very good with. Like she said, they were extremely confusing. And also quite easy to fake in her experience. On both ends. She could pretend to like people easily and people could pretend to care about her without meaning it.

"Hello?"

She was abruptly brought out of her thoughts when she heard a faint rustling. Automatically, she grabbed her axe and thrust it forwards. She could not see the figure clearly, but she could just make out the silhouette. Astrid aimed the axe towards the person's neck.

"Who's there?!" she asked inching forward and inwardly preparing for a fight. Aside from being a servant, Astrid was also a fierce, skilled, warrior.

"Woah! I-it's just m-me! P-prince Hiccup?"

"Prince Hiccup?"

"That's me" he chuckled nervously "Could you please move the axe away from my neck?"

She stumbled backwards in disbelief. She just held an axe to a _royal's_ throat. That could kill her. Literally. If anyone were to discover that she did that, they might see it as her placing some sort of threat and she would be faced with the death penalty. Of course that scenario was unlikely, but that didn't make it worst case either.

"I am so sorry Prince Hiccup! You'll have to forgive me! Really, I had no idea-"

"Hey, hey, calm down" he chuckled "It's fine. I suppose it is a little strange for a random man to just be walking around the gardens in the middle of the night. You were on the defense. I get it"

And on top of everything else, he's understanding. Astrid groaned inwardly, why did he seem so perfect?

"Why are you walking around the gardens this late at night? If you don't mind me asking"

He waved a hand dismissively "I don't mind at all. I was with my dragon, Toothless, and just taking him for his evening flight when we lost track of the time. I was able to bring him back to the stables but I seemed to have lost my way whilst trying to find my sleeping quarters. I was hoping somebody could help me"

"I could take you back to your sleeping chambers, if you would like"

"That would be great" he sounded grateful, it was hard to tell his facial expression due to how dark it was.

"Of course, can you see me okay?"

"Well enough to get by, yes"

In a way, that worked to her advantage. Not being able to see her clearly reduced risk of him recognising her somehow. Being around him still made her slightly anxious though.

"Good, follow me"

They walked in silence, with Astrid looking behind her occasionally to make sure Prince Hiccup was still following her. Eventually, he spoke up.

"May I ask why you were also up so late?"

She slowed down so they were walking side by side, the situation was all too familiar for her.

"I was unable to sleep. Whilst I also enjoy the occasional midnight flight with my dragon, I also find walking around the gardens helps. It's an extremely peaceful environment, there's something wonderful about it"

"That's how I feel about flying with Toothless, it's always been calming for me. My entire life has always been hectic, there's so much stress and pressure to be this person I don't want to be. Flying allows me to escape the everyday life for a little bit"

She nodded "I see what you mean. Beserker Island is my home, but it also a land of labels, no matter how much it pretends not to be. When I'm flying, I have no label. I'm not a servant nor a royal. I am just a girl on my dragon. The sky is almost like your safe place"

"Exactly!"

Astrid giggled at his excitement "I must admit, I do find it strange that Princess Heather did not ask one of the servants to stay up for you"

his nervous chuckle returned and Astrid couldn't figure out why it was so endearing "Well you see, that would be because... I did not tell her"

She raised an eyebrow "You didn't?"

"I didn't want to bother her or have her make anyone stay up later than they needed to for me, plus my father doesn't like when I go for evening flights when visiting other tribes, he says it's disrespectful to not take in the beauty of the island properly at night and that it's unfair to force people to wait for me. The second point I understand, the first not so much"

"Maybe there are other reasons as well"

"None that I've heard. It doesn't matter, I still do my evening flight. It's easier if I do. You have no idea how awful a cranky dragon is"

"Clearly you need to see my dragon when I feed her fish instead of chicken" she laughed.

And then suddenly they were at his room. She wasn't sure how time had passed quickly. Astrid was almost disappointed that they're conversation was coming to an end. Almost.

"I don't think I ever caught your name"

She thought over it for a few seconds. The princess never mentioned her name...

"My name is Astrid"

"Lovely name" he commented making her blush, though he could not see that.

"Thank you. Good night" she whispered making sure not wake anyone else.

She turned to leave when he whisper shouted "Wait!"

The blonde servant girl turned to him once more "Yes?"

He grabbed a torch that was lit and went towards her "I really should see the girl who helped me tonight"

Her eyes widened in panic "No really, you don't need to-"

The light illuminated her figure.

This was it. The moment of truth.

He looked at her for a few seconds, eyebrows knitting together. A brief glint of recognition flickered in his eyes before disappearing. She'd never felt more self- conscious in her life.

"Thank you for helping me. Good night, Astrid" he said slowly, as if he wanted to say something else.

He shut the door and a mix of relief and disappointment flooded her. He had not recognized her. Her secret was still safe for now. It lessened her fears ever so slightly to know he didn't realize who she was. She couldn't quite pinpoint the reason she also felt disappointment. It's not like she expected him to recognize her, not like she wanted him to either. Yet, it still stung.

So much for avoiding Prince Hiccup.

 ** _Another chapter done!_**

 ** _Astrid and Hiccup meet again... Apparently the gods have it out for Astrid (Or I do, who's to say...)_**

 ** _What do you guys think should happen next?_**

 ** _As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)_**

 ** _Shohini :)_**


	5. Closer

"YOU TALKED TO-"

"Ruff, quiet!"

Astrid quickly clamped a hand over her best friend's mouth and dragged her to a fairly lonely corner of the room. Once she was sure Ruffnut had calmed down, she carefully removed her hand.

"Yes, I spoke with Prince Hiccup last night'' Astrid began "Please do not make a fuss"

In hindsight, Astrid should have realised how foolish that request was. Whilst Astrid loved her fellow servant friend, she made a fuss out of _everything._ "

How can I not make a fuss?! Ast, you talked with THE Prince Hiccup! The same one you danced with at the Royal-"

"Shhhhh!"

Astrid looked around frantically to make sure no one was listening then looked back at Ruffnut.

"You can't just say that Ruffnut! Someone might hear you!"

She scoffed "Nobody's around"

"Someone could still walk past!"

"Astrid you're being paranoid"

"I'm surprised you know that word"

"Hey! I'm Smart!"

Astrid gave her a certain look that implied the contrary.

"Okay fine, I heard Princess Heather say it once and it sounded fun to say, did I use it right?"

"Yes, surprisingly"

"YES!"

Astrid couldn't help but laugh a little at her friend's eagerness.

"Does the Princess know?" Ruffnut asked after calming down again.

"No I've not seen her yet. What do you think she'll say?"

"I think she'll be excited!"

Astrid couldn't help fiddle with her fingers nervously as Ruffnut shot her a disapproving look.

"Come on Ast, you know Heather will be happy for you"

"I'm not worried about that Ruff"

"What are you worried about then?"

"Just... Things"

"Things?"

She nodded hoping the subject would not be pushed any further.

"Fair enough"

Astrid felt relief take over her system. It's not that she didn't trust Ruffnut, but there were certain emotions that she liked to keep to herself.

She was about to go back to working when Ruffnut stopped her.

"Will you be speaking with him again?"

Astrid turned away once more, trying to hide the obvious blush spreading across her cheeks "Maybe"

"Is that so?" Astrid didn't need to turn around to know that Ruffnut was raising her eyebrows with her usual smug expression.

Damn her and her smug expression.

"Nothing has been set in stone, but we may talk again if fate crosses our path once more"

"Since when did you believe in fate and paths crossing?"

Astrid hesitated "Maybe I'm beginning to see things differently"

Astrid walked away after that to get on with her work. Ruffnut worked beside her. Astrid decided to throw herself into her work to ignore Ruff's questioning gaze burning into her. She became so immersed in her duties she barely registered her surroundings.

A timid tap on her shoulder brought her back to the real world. It caught her so off guard, when it happened she ended up yelping.

She turned around to be met by Prince Hiccup's eyes. The second their eyes locked he froze. He said nothing, simply stared at her, similar to how he'd looked at her last night.

"Prince Hiccup?"

That brought him back to earth. Once he snapped out of it, he mumbled something and shook his head, more than to himself than to her.

He then began to chuckle "I really must figure out how to stop startling you"

She wanted the world to open up and swallow her whole. She just yelped in front of a Prince. How foolish she must have looked "I apologize, you just caught me by surprise is all"

"Nothing to apologize for, besides, I find it cute"

Her eyes widened slightly as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. Prince Hiccup just called her cute. _Her_. A mere servant.

Clearly he realized what he said as his eyes widened significantly more than hers had. He began stuttering and stammering as if to recant his statement, similar to how he had the first night at the Royal Ball (though he wouldn't know that).

"I uh.. I just- I... W-what I m-meant was that you have n-nothing to apologize f-for and... Uh... Good morning" he concluded also blushing lightly.

"Good morning" she looked down briefly and brushed her bangs out of her eyes "I trust you slept well"

"Very well, thank you for asking. And yourself?"

This conversation was so polite, it was almost painful "I got a great night's sleep"

He nodded "I'm glad. I was actually hoping to talk to you... Astrid was it?"

Something stung when he was unsure of her name, but she pushed it down. Reality check. Her name would never matter to him.

Ignoring the hurt, she nodded "What would you like to talk about?"

He hastily looked at Ruffnut "Would it be alright if we spoke in private?"

"Yes, of course" she looked to Ruffnut "Ruff, I'll talk to you later"

Hiccup, ironically, went to the same isolated corner in which been talking about him barely 20 minutes ago. She looked over her shoulder and saw Ruffnut staring at her with a 'We are SO talking about this later' look.

"Is everything alright?" she asked him.

"Yes, everything's fine. I just... Well first I wanted to thank you for helping me last night" he said quietly, making sure no-one was listening.

She raised an eyebrow "The pleasure was mine, what is the second thing?"

"I was hoping you could stay up again for me tonight, if possible" he paused then resumed in stutters "U-unless you think you'll be too tired in which case I can-"

"I'd love too" she interrupted.

"Thank you" they stared at each other for a few seconds before he cleared his throat "Right, well, I'll see you tonight"

"See you tonight" she turned from him and caught up with Ruffnut.

Her fellow servant friend nudged her playfully as she rolled her eyes "So?"

Why couldn't Astrid stop blushing? "Well..."

xxxx

What was she doing?

Well, she knew what she was doing, obviously. She was waiting for Prince Hiccup. But why?

Her main aim for this week was to avoid Prince Hiccup, not get closer. Just a couple of day ago she asked herself why she would set herself up for heartbreak. As she'd already told herself multiple times, following these feelings would only hurt her. Nothing could come of it, commoners like her and royals like him were not really supposed to associate, let alone fall in love. Not that he was in love with her.

"Astrid?"

Determined not to be startled by his arrival, Astrid was prepared for his whisper "I'm here"

She squinted and faintly made out his figure. Butterflies filled her stomach and she couldn't even see him properly.

He smiled shyly "Hi"

She mirrored his actions "Hi"

"I'm glad my arrival didn't scare you this time" he laughed

"What can I say? I'm a warrior, scaring me is rare" Astrid smirked.

"Yet I've managed to do so, twice" Hiccup pointed out and Astrid could hear the smirk in his voice.

With anyone else a comment like that would have made her defensive, but with him it only made her laugh

"In my defense, the first time you were strolling around the gardens in the middle of the night, anyone would be surprised. And the second time you caught me by surprise, which won't be happening again. Besides, you were pretty startled yourself the second time, if I remember correctly"

"Touché"

They began walking back to his chambers. Astrid wasn't sure why she was so nervous. Of course being in the presence of royalty would make anyone nervous, but not as nervous as her. Maybe it was because she was scared of being discovered, or maybe it was something else entirely, but it made her heart race at unbelievable speeds.

"I've been thinking about something today" The Prince began

"And what is that?"

"Well it's just... I can't help thinking that I've seen you before"

Astrid, raised an eyebrow, hiding the panic inside "You probably have. Around the castle. I work quite closely with Princess Heather. Plus, there also previous trips to Berk that I've been on"

At least that wasn't a lie, not completely.

He nodded "Well yes, of course there's that but it's also more. It's like I already know you"

Astrid felt a lump in her throat, she couldn't tell him. She just couldn't "I unserstand the feeling. I feel the same way but I can't explain why"

Well she could, but he didn't need to know that.

"It's strange isn't it?"

"Very" she agreed

After that it was a comfortable silence. No words were said, it didn't feel necessary. Anything that she could say with ruin everything. It was best just to keep quiet.

Eventually the silence transitioned into awkward so she started another conversation "How was your flight?"

"Amazing. There really is nothing like flying through the stars"

"I can only imagine" she smiled "My dragon is more of a morning dragon though"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, just as you love the stars, I love the the sun. It's a beautiful sight watching the sun rise in the morning"

"I've never seen the sun rise with Toothless before"

"You should try it sometime, it really is marvellous" She smiled fondly, recalling her own memories of morning flights.

"Maybe we can join you some and your dragon sometime" He nudged her a little and butterflies couldn't help acting up again.

"Only if we can join you and Toothless on one of your midnightmidnight flights" It was out of character for her, but he brought out a side of her she didn't know she had.

"Deal"

"Deal"

She allowed herself to get caught up in the fantasy. Like they would ever get to go on these flights. That's the reason she agreed, because she knew it would never happen. At least, that's what she told herself.

"I must admit, I've not been on many morning flights lately"

"Why is that?"

"I've been busy. What with preparations for Royal Ball and everything, my days have been quite chaotic"

"That's a shame" he seemed genuinely sympathetic with her.

"Yes, I know this sounds strange, but I swear my dragon will not stop guilt tripping me about it. I don't know, it's just the way she looks at me"

"Not as strange as you think" the Prince chortled "When Toothless doesn't approve of my actions, he makes it very clear"

"How?" her voice was a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"Glaring at me, hitting me over the head with his tail, huffing" He explained "He's a very... Expressive dragon"

Even when he was discussing how his dragon admonished him, she could still tell his eyes were sparkling. It was obvious, given the intensity he spoke with. Astrid loved his passion.

Astrid giggled "At least I'm not the only one with a judgmental dragon"

"What kind of dragon do you ride?"

"A Deadly Nadder called Storm..."

...Wait

She'd already told Hiccup her dragon's name was Stormfly at The Royal Ball. If she said it again now he'd know. She just needed to come up with another name that began with storm...

Think Astrid, think.

"... Shine. Stormshine."

 _'Stormfly and Stormshine? Great job, Astrid'_ she thought to herself sarcastically.

"Stormshine?"

"Yup. Stormshine the Deadly Nadder. That's my dragon" she concluded awkwardly, praying to all the Gods above that Hiccup didn't make any connections.

"That name seems familiar..."

"Well with so many people riding dragons, I suppose it's impossible for no dragons to have similar names." She rushed to cover it up.

"That might be it..."

"I'm sure that's what it is" Astrid replied with finality in her tone. He didn't seem convinced but dropped it anyways "You know, I've heard stories about you and Toothless. The bond you have with him is remarkable"

There were a few moments of silence before Hiccup spoke up "Toothless is my best friend. When I met him I was nothing. I was the runt of my kingdom, the embarrassment. It always felt as if I had to be this person I simply wasn't. I was not a dragon killer and deep down, I knew I never would be. I was never good enough for my kingdom. Toothless accepted me at a time when no-one else would. And in return, I accepted him. I saw him as the intelligent creature he was, not as the savage beast I'd been taught to see him as. Now, people do accept me. There are still issues with my father, there always be, but we have a much better relationship now. It all really began with Toothless. I never had to be anyone else with him, he accepted me as Hiccup the runt and that's something that I think strengthens our bond, the acceptance"

She was surprised by the intensity and depth of his confession. She could make out his figure better now. His eyes were sparkling. Earlier, when they'd been discussing their dragons, she had been able to tell his eyes were shining from the sentiment in his voice. Seeing it upfront brought a whole new whirlwind of emotions.

"I understand you, believe it or not" she began cautiously "I am from a disgraced family name. I love the castle, but I do hear the whispers. My friends don't talk about it because they know I don't like to, but I know they think about it from time to time. I don't blame them, it's fair enough. It's like an invisible barrier sometimes. Like it holds me back from talking to them. But with Stormshine it was never like that. She doesn't see me for my family name or my past. She just sees me as the person I am, and I love her for it"

"That's exactly how I feel" Hiccup grinned "Wait, your from a disgraced family?"

He didn't sound disgusted, like most people normally did. Just intrigued. She realised that time had slipped away from them once more as she noticed they were in his chambers. It was probably for the best, she needed to remember to keep her walls up.

"A story for another night" her voice was nothing more than a whisper "I'll see you tomorrow night Prince Hiccup"

"Please just call me Hiccup" he responded automatically

"Hiccup. Goodnight, Hiccup" she corrected, smiling gently.

"Goodnight, Astrid"

Once he shut the door, Astrid placed a hand on her chest, trying to get her heartbeat to readjust. These conversations were addictive. She should walk away but she can't. Learning all these details about who the Prince was on the inside was intoxicating. She felt different around him. Details of her life that she never told anyone, not even Ruff or Heather, were revealed to him in seconds. There was a quality about him that made her feel safe.

Around him, Astrid changed. She became a more open person, less guarded. When she was around the Prince, she was more vulnerable. He made her a different person.

The closer she got, the deeper she fell and she couldn't for the life of her figure out if it was a good or bad thing.

 _ **Another one done!**_

 _ **Sorry if I made the confessions too long!**_

 _ **So... Another night done... Hiccup and Astrid are becoming closer. Will Hiccup figure out the truth?**_ _ **He's certainly on the right path ;-)**_

What do you guys think should happen next?

As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)

Shohini :)


	6. Restrictions and Barriers

What was it about this girl?

He couldn't put his finger on it. She was different to most girls he'd met in the past. It was refreshing. Most girls whom he was supposed to interact with were nice, but restricted. Not quite human, in some strange way. Certain moments where their behaviour or speech wasn't exactly authentic, it was originated from the expectation of their kingdom. Of course he loved Heather and Atali, they had been friends from a young age. However, they also had their moments where their own restrictions shone through. He didn't fault them for it, quite the contary. Instead, he understood because he knew the trait only really came through being a royal which meant he had it too, to some extent.

Astrid possessed a certain quality that most girls he met seemed to lack. There was something about Astrid that was very real. She never acted like a puppet, like he and other royals did on occasion. Astrid was her own person. It was admirable to him. She did not allow the barriers that life presented her with to limit the extent to which she really experienced life. Much like himself, she was also an explorer. The only difference was that she preferred to do her exploring before the day officially begins whereas he does his after.

He'd spent the last three nights talking to her and every a night another secret was revealed. With every night he found himself getting closer to her. She would discuss parts of her past and in turn he would do the same. Of course there were also things where she would become guarded, her family name or the life she lived. It was understandable, though he didn't like admitting it, the difference in their lifestyles did create some sort of line. One that was not to be crossed. Astrid had said to him that she wanted not to see the distinction between royals and "regulars", as she eloquently put it. Once again, a statement he disliked but still understood.

It was more than that though. It really felt as if he knew her. Her eyes, her hair, even the way she spoke. Something about her seemed... Familiar.

There was this one theory that he had. It was rather far fetched but the puzzle pieces did fit together when explained. That woman he'd danced with at the Royal Ball was remarkably similar to Astrid. Almost too similar. He knew that there were countless flaws in his theory, one being that servants were not allowed in the ball unless acting as the help, but he still wondered. What if it had been her? Why would she lie to him all this time?

Then there was the other side of things.

This closeness with Astrid made him feel guilty. Almost as if it was a betrayal. Less than a week ago he'd claimed he was in love. Yet here he was, falling in love all over again. Well, maybe. He definitely had some degree of feelings for this girl but whether or not they were love was yet to be determined. Still, he didn't want these current budding feelings cheapen his feelings at the ball. How much could that Princess mean to him if the feelings were being replicated within the week?

However, Hiccup was fairly sure about this girl. Of course there was no concrete proof but he had mentally noted many signs that supported his theory. He just needed to know a little more.

Toothless impatiently nudged his rider, signalling to the sky. Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright bud, let's head back" he smiled "There's someone I need to see"

xxxx

"Hello?" he heard Astrid whisper

"I'm here Astrid"

He made out her petite figure and his heart began racing without his say so. The young prince had been so confident, excited even, to see her but now he was frozen. Seeing her in the moonlight, everything was serene. The way her eyes twinkle as she looked, something seemed to click. The whole setting was all too familiar.

"Hiccup?" her voice brought him back to reality.

"S-sorry... Sorry"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" he said, the waver in his voice betraying his more confident exterior "Fine"

Even in the darkness, he could still make out her raised eyebrow "Hiccup"

Her knowing tone was enough for him to truly open up. He didn't know why, she just brought out another side to him.

"Alright, I'm not fine. I'm just a bit... I don't the word for it"

"That's okay" she reassured gently "Maybe you don't need to know right now."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked curiously.

"Well" she paused momentarily, as if she was going over the words in her head "I just think that emotions are... Um, they're very... Complex. They're certainly not easy to understand. And before the dragons everyone lived in a very set way where exploring emotions wasn't exactly encouraged. This whole feelings thing... We comparing 3 years of experience to 15 years of ignorance. That's not enough time to fully adjust to anything"

She paused once more. He was in total awe of her. Everything she just said were his own feelings exactly. About the emotions as well as the sudden respect from his kingdom.

"I just think" she began somewhat cautiously "That there's too much pressure to label our feelings. Sometimes it's better to feel first because then it gives you more time to... Process, I suppose"

"I couldn't agree more"

The way she was speaking to him stung slightly. He recognized the tone of voice she was using. Ever since that first night he'd been noticing her a lot more. He knew the careful, hesitant, and reserved tone was one she only really used around other royals. But that's the thing, it was _other_ royals. Prince Snotlout, Prince Fishlegs, even Princess Heather occasionally but never him. Until now.

"Are you alright Astrid?" He parroted her earlier question noticing the way she dodged his gaze "You don't seem as engaged as you usually are"

"Oh yes I'm fine just..." she bit her lip briefly "Thinking"

"Anything you'd like to talk about?"

She looked at him and he could see the desperation in her eyes. She very clearly wanted to talk to him. However, something was holding her back. The thought saddened him, but he understood it nonetheless. Astrid instead gave him a sad, almost apologetic smile

"It's okay. It's not important"

At that he stopped, grabbing her wrist and effectively bringing her to a halt as well. He stared her straight into her eyes. He _definitely_ recognised those eyes from somewhere but he ignored that thought. In that moment, he needed her to understand him.

"Please don't say that"

"Say what?" She asked, feigning confusion.

"That your feelings aren't important. Astrid, you need to know this. Your feelings are just as valid as anyone else's. Royalty or not. So please don't assume that because I'm royalty I won't want to listen to your feelings. Because I do. Very much"

Astrid nodded, but something in her gaze suggested that she didn't fully believe his words. It hurt to think that, but he understood her reservation. He knew better than to push, if he did she might shut down altogether. And that's the last thing he wanted.

"Thank you, Prince Hiccup" she smiled gently, making his stomach tie in knots.

"Hiccup" he corrected her and her smile grew

"Thank you, Hiccup"

Vaguely, he wondered if she did that on purpose. If she only called him 'Prince Hiccup' to create a barrier between them. It made sense, she only seemed to do it when they had very meaningful conversations. Maybe the depth and intensity of the words they spoke scared her. Maybe having that space between them made things easier for her. He honestly wasn't sure.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"What?" Hiccup didn't fully understand why she was asking this out of the blue.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Is it just because I'm helping you?" Astrid repeated with a new found sharpness to her tone.

"Gods no! Of course not Astrid! What even made you think like that?"

A part of him knew what made her think like that. It was the same thing that made everyone else believe it was unheard of royals being nice to servants. Doubt. Still, he didn't necessarily want to admit that.

"It doesn't matter" she looked away from him "You're not answering my question"

There was so much he could say to answer her question. He could talk about how he loved talking to her. How she made him comfortable enough to be himself. How she was the only human to ever make him feel that way. How her mere presence made his heart race a mile a minute. How he just loved being around _her_.

But instead, he chose to some it up in one small sentence. A sentence spoken by the princess that had really stuck with him.

 _"We're all humans at the end of the day"_

Astrid's eyes widened. Possibly in recognition, possibly in something else. He mentally noted the reaction in his head. A bit more evidence.

Suddenly her sad smile returned "I wish I could believe that"

"Well why can't you?"

He was challenging her the same way she (maybe) had challenged him at the ball when he confessed to his own limitations. There was no clear clarification about the identity of the princess but he had his ideas.

The sadness shone painfully in her eyes. She moved her hand to touch him, then hesitated, and promptly pulled it away. His heart sank a little "Just because I'd like to believe in something, doesn't mean I can"

He planned on questioning her further. Hiccup wanted to understand why she felt that way, and more than that, change her mind. If he could change an entire generation's mind, surely he could change one more.

Before he could even begin, she interrupted "We seem to be at your sleeping chambers"

Surprised, he looked around and realised she was right. How the time managed to pass them so quickly always confused him.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course" she smiled gently "Good night Hiccup"

"Wait!" he whisper-shouted watching her retreating figure.

"Yes?" she asked confused, turning around.

Now or never.

"Would you like to join me on my flight tomorrow?"

Not for the first time that night, her eyes widened. "What if someone sees us?"

"Let them" he shrugged "But that won't be a problem. My flight always takes place after everyone's asleep"

The young Prince saw her hesitation. Her shoulders tensed slightly as she thought over the decision.

"Please Astrid?"

He needed to know more, feel more, fall more.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly "Yes I'll join you tomorrow. I'll meet you at the stables once everyone's asleep"

Hiccup couldn't contain the grin spreading across his face. Astrid slowly walked away from him again after saying goodnight.

If it really did turn out that Astrid was not the princess, then this really would be an awful betrayal but how was he to know. He wasn't sure he'd ever find that Princess if it wasn't her.

Tomorrow would be his last night. It would be his last chance to find out the truth. He was going to make the most of it. He was going to make Astrid understand.

All he wanted was to break the barriers that separated him and Astrid.

 ** _It's certainly been a long time! I'm so sorry about that! Writing from Hiccup's perspective was harder than I thought it would be! Plus this time of year is always very hectic. Should I do more of Hiccup's POV?_**

 ** _Astrid wasn't herself this chapter... Don't worry, all will be explained_** •

As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)

Shohini :)


	7. A Set Up For Heartbreak

"Come on Stormfly please?!"

Stormfly simply huffed and turned her head stubbornly, causing a frustrated sigh to escape Astrid's lips.

"Look, I already told you, the kitchen was out of chicken! They're getting more stock next week! You can have your chicken but until then you've gotta have fish" She tried to reason with her dragon to no avail.

Stormfly still remained unwilling to have the fish. She turned away from the servant girl. That dragon was spoiled _way_ too much.

"For Thor's sake Stormfly it's just fish! There are foods other than chicken! I'm not letting you starve to death because you're too stubborn to eat the gods damned food!" She finally snapped but, upon seeing how her dragon quivered and laid down sadly, calmed down instantly.

"Okay fine Stormfly, I know I haven't spent much time with you this week and I'm sorry about that but I promise we're gonna go flying tonight and tomorrow I'll take you on a nice early morning flight. How does that sound?"

At this, her dragon perked up a little.

"There we go girl" she smiled encouragingly "Now just eat the fish"

And Stormfly was laying on the floor again. Finally at her wits end, Astrid threw her hands in the air with a cry of exasperation. The blonde haired helper sunk to the ground and leant against Stormfly.

"That's it! I give up!"

Normally Astrid had more patience for Stormfly. The two had an extremely solid bond. However, today was different. This entire week was different. It had been an emotionally exhausting rollercoaster. Her mind had been all over the place so her temperament had been slightly unsettled. Not much, but it was noticeable if properly looked out for.

Plus, something the Princess had said earlier did not sit well with her...

xxxx

 _flashback_

 _"Are you ever going to tell him?"_

 _Astrid looked away, feigning innocence "What are you talking about Princess?"_

 _Heather's eyes bore into her sharply and she had no choice but to look at her "You what I'm talking about_ "

 _Still, Astrid kept her ignorant facade "I'm afraid I really don't-"_

 _"The Prince!"_

 _Astrid shut her eyes tightly, suppressing anger. She didn't like being snapped at, and Heather was usually so nice it wasn't an issue. However, that did not mean it never happened. Of course servants would snap from time to time, and when this happened Astrid would be the first to give them a piece of her mind. But she couldn't with the Princess, she did not have the right._

 _"Ruffnut told you" It was more of a statement than a question, she knew the truth._

 _"Don't be angry with her, you know how bad she is with secrets. She couldn't help it"_

 _"I'm not angry with her" she sighed "Frustrated, maybe, but not with her. So you know?"_

 _Heather nodded "I do. And to be fair to Ruff, she wasn't the only one I found out from"_

 _At that, confusion rose within her "How is that possible? No one elsw knew"_

 _"There was talk from other servants about Prince Hiccup being spotted late at night with a mystery girl. I had already suspected it was you, I approached Ruffnut and she told me about your situation. It was not new information, it only confirmed my suspicions"_

 _It made sense, looking back. Astrid wasn't oblivious to the whispers and sneers around her, she just assumed it was because of her family name like usual._

 _"I suppose you have questions" Astrid walked around, cleaning Heather's room briskly in an attempt to avoid eye contact._

 _"Why didn't you tell me?"_

 _Astrid hesitated before speaking "I wanted to. Believe me, I considered telling you a number of times but I was afraid"_

 _"Afraid of what?"_

 _"Your reaction_

 _"What?"_ _the young princess asked, clearly confused._

 _"I know you want me to tell Prince Hiccup about the royal ball, I understand why, and I knew you would disapprove of me spending all this time with him without telling the truth"_

 _"That's not the reason I disapprove"_

 _"It's not?" Astrid raised an eyebrow._

 _"Well, okay yes, it is partially. But that's not the only reason"_

 _"What is your other reason?" Astrid asked, finding it was now her turn to be confused._

 _"By doing this Astrid, you're going against one of your very own statements, one of your beliefs"_

 _Of all the answers Astrid could have expected, that was not one of them._

 _"I'm afraid I don't follow Princess" The young girl frowned as she tried to understand the statement._

 _"You always say that you don't want to set yourself up for heartbreak, question why you'd even put yourself in that sort of position. Not only are you doing it to yourself, but you're doing it to him too"_

 _"What? How?" she asked incredulously._

 _"You two seem to have a connection, which is great, but Astrid did you think about what happens after the end of the visit?"_

 _Heather was making a fair point, Astrid hadn't thought about what happens after he leaves, it hadn't even crossed her mind._

 _"I guess I just assumed he'd leave and forget about me" she automatically averted her gaze and began cleaning again._

 _"You should know at this point that he's not that kind of person" Heather sighed "I think he's falling for you, again"_

 _"Don't be absurd"_

 _"Whenever anyone discusses plans for the evening or for the night, you should see the way his eyes light up"_

 _"That may not be me, he might just be excited about flying" she argued._

 _"No, I've seen how excited he gets about flying, this was different. It was the same look he got when talking about the Princess" At this she threw a pointed look in Astrid's direction. One that Astrid ignored._

 _"It's probably nothing"_

 _"Feelings are never nothing"_

 _That's a flat out lie, and Astrid knows it. Feelings are easy to fake. Heather, however, may not know this. Human nature is one of the things you learn growing up in the real world, as opposed to the guarded and protective world royals tend to reside in._

 _"Look Astrid" Heather began gently "You know I want you to be happy. Both you and Hiccup are my friends, nothing would make me happier than for you two to have your happily ever after. But that can only happen if you tell him the truth. If you won't, then he's going to leave heart broken by the fact that he's managed to fall in love this week, both times with women he seemingly can't be with. And you'll be heart broken because you're in love with him and can't do anything about it'_

 _"I-I am not in l-love with Prince H-hiccup!" She sputtered out, a habit she's sure she picked up from the latter._

 _"Are you sure about that?"_

 _"He may have confessed to being in love, but I did no such thing" the blonde countered fiercely._

 _"You don't need to confess anything. It's so obvious"_

 _"How so?"_

 _"For one thing you blush whenever he comes up" Heather pointed out as Astrid realized the feeling of the heat flooding her cheeks "Plus you get the exact same sparkle as he does"_

 _"None of this matters Princess" Astrid dismissed quietly "It's not as if the world will magically change it's views on status and accept Hiccup being in love with someone who's not royalty"_

 _"So you admit he's in love with you" she grinned_

" _I didn't mean it like that" Astrid denied "The pretense was hypothetical. IF he was in love with me, nobody would like it. That's all I was saying"_

 _"Astrid" The raven haired girl said solemnly_

 _"It doesn't matter. He will always be a Prince and I will always be a servant. Nothing can change that. This whole situation is pointless"_

 _"I don't think he understands that" Heather offered meekly._

 _"No, he doesn't" it was now Astrid's turn to sigh "He's naive like that. It's wonderful in some ways, and awful in others"_

 _Astrid liked that Hiccup, much like other royals, had this black and white view. It was refreshing to be around so much optimism. Yet, it simultaneously made things much more difficult._ _The way he was able to say that he believes all humans are equal with such sincerity is infuriating. Because she knows. She knows it's not true. They'll never be equal._

 _Astrid hadn't realised she was hurting him. She hadn't even thought about it, which was strange considering how cautious she usually was. And now she was in too deep. No matter what she did now he was going to get hurt. If she told him the truth, they still wouldn't be able to be together and if she hid it from him, he would leave without ever knowing his 'mystery princess'._

 _It truly was a set up for heartbreak._

xxxx

Eventually, she gave up. She couldn't force feed Stormfly and wouldn't want to either. Dejectedly, she went to leave the stable until she noticed a black ball in the corner.

Cautiously, she approached his pen. His head perks up and he stared at her. That's all it is for a few moments. Silence and stares. He's not even glaring. It's completely blank. She offers a small smile.

"Hi, Toothless right?" she takes the twitch of curiosity at the mention of his name as a good sign "Hi"

He's not angry, a little suspicious maybe. Regardless, she holds out her hands to calm him "It's okay. I know your rider, Hiccup"

Again, he becomes more energetic and Astrid smiles to herself. Progress "My name is Astrid"

And now he's really interested, he's definitely heard her name before. The thought gave her a warm fuzzy feeling. The feeling radiated to her chest and Astrid pushed it away as quickly as she possibly could.

"My girl over here" she gestured to Stormfly "Doesn't seem to be hungry at the moment so I figured I might as well not waste all this fish"

He watched as she placed the barrel on the ground.

"It's okay" she reassured, taking one fish and throwing it to the ground in front of him "Completely safe"

He sniffed the fish before scoffing it down. Before she knew it he devouring the entire barrel. She couldn't help but laugh. The offspring of lightening and death was as playful as a child. The sight was endearing.

At some point he'd ended up sitting on his hind legs and leaving a slimy, slobbery fish in her lap. She met his expectant gaze and began to fumble.

"Thanks Toothless but I uh... I don't eat fish" was the excuse she settled on, tossing him back the fish.

He swallowed it and gave her, what she could only assume was, a smile. Suddenly, he pounced on her and began licking her face wildly. Astrid could only laugh.

"Gods, this isn't gonna wash out is it?" she muttered to herself once the laughter died downdown.

She got up, petting Toothless "Alright I should go now but I'll be back tonight. See ya then Toothless"

She went to leave and then abruptly turned to Stormfly.

"Oh by the way girl, I'm calling you Stormshine tonight"

She heard Stormfly's confused sqauwk behind her as she left.

Astrid tried to ignore her elevated heartbeat. She tried to ignore the rising anxiety seizing her chest. She tried to ignore the knot in her stomach.

All she knew was that one heart was going to break tonight, and she was terrified to find out who's.

 ** _HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!_**

 ** _So this book has roughly 3-5 chapters left and I was thinking about doing a sequel but I'll only do it if you guys are up for it!_**

 ** _I have lots of ideas for other httyd stories. Would you guys like me to write more stories?_**

 ** _Also, I was thinking about giving you guys some fun facts about this book since it's coming to an end soon._**

 ** _Fun fact #1: Originally there was gonna be a storyline where Stormfly was actually a gift to Astrid from Hiccup. The gist of it was that Astrid couldn't find her own dragon because she couldn't bond with any of them. During a visit to Berk Astrid bonded with Stormfly, which Hiccup noticed. They were gonna have a conversation ending with Hiccup telling Astrid that she could take Stormfly back to Berserker Island. It was really sweet, but ultimately I had to scrap it because it was too easy for Hiccup to connect back to the mystery princess. Gotta challenge him :)_**

 ** _More fun facts?_**

 ** _As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)_**

 ** _Shohini :)_**


	8. Moonlit Flight

She knows this has to end.

Realistically, she always knew. A week doesn't last forever. It never could. Astrid knew this would end eventually. He was scheduled to leave tomorrow afternoon. After that they would both return to their normal lives. He as a King in training and herself as a regular servant. No meet ups, no garden strolls, nothing. Astrid knew that at the beginning of the week when she agreed to help him. It felt like the end was so far away. But now it was here and it was too soon.

Astrid wasn't ready to let him go. He'd affected her life so much. She was really beginning to accept herself and her past for what it was. Could she honestly forget him? Would he able to forget her? Would he want to?

It was her own fault. She got caught up in a dream, she let her emotions get the best of her and now she was paying the price for it.

Astrid wanted to go on the flight. She'd been so excited about it but she couldn't go. Not after finding out that people had seen them together. That was her wake up call. She was lucky that the Princess was so understanding, others wouldn't be.

Nothing had happened between them, not whilst she was a servant. But people talk, things get exaggerated. Things began to click. She wasn't blind to the stares. Astrid knew that other servants were talking about her, she just wasn't sure why until now. Still, how did they know it was her? The nights were fairly dark. Maybe they didn't know for sure. Maybe it was the other girls hoping to start another rumour about her, just another method for torturing her oblivious ears.

Whether anybody knew or not, she had to be cautious. For him, for herself. There was no need to get unnecessarily hurt.

She walked in ready to tell him she couldn't do this. But when she walked into the stable something was... Different.

He was right there, petting Toothless absent-mindedly. That's what was wrong. Anytime Toothless was involved, Hiccup became so animated and determined. Toothless gave him this extra spark. So to watch him be so disoriented felt unnerving to her.

At first she considered that he was distracted for the same reasons she was. Maybe he had also heard the rumours and was now having second thoughts. On the one hand, that made what she wanted to say a little easier but on the other hand, she really didn't want him to have second thoughts about her.

However, the second he saw her, his face lit up again. All traces of negativity disappeared from his face as he approached her excitedly.

"Astrid!"

And suddenly she was in his arm. They'd never hugged before, she observed silently. Even when she was the Princess, they'd never hugged. The feeling was electrifying. The only other time they'd been this close was at the ball when they'd been dancing and whatnot, not that he knew that.

Despite the thrilling feeling, Astrid still hesitated. Princes and servants did not hug. They weren't even meant to have proper contact technically. There was no official law that prohibited it so it wasn't illegal but it was wrong. It wasn't accepted. Just as they wouldn't be.

Still, he continued to hug her. His arms tightened around her waist and his face was buried in her shoulder. His touch was almost desperate. Something was wrong. Very wrong. In that moment he needed her. And she found herself giving in to her emotions.

Her arms rose and wrapped around his shoulders tentatively. As if on instinct, she pulled him closer. Hiccup had no hesitation and held her tighter, if that was possible. Astrid closed her eyes, savouring the moment, knowing it wouldn't last much longer.

"I'm sorry" he mumbled, his voice muffled against her shoulder

"You have nothing to be sorry for" she responded softly.

Hiccup pulled away from the hug, but his hands remained on her waist. A detail she chose to ignore.

"It's been a rough day"

"We all have those" she smiled sympathetically.

The young Prince brought a hand to his head and ran it through his hair in a distressed manner "I'm glad you're here. You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this"

And her hesitation returned and her smile faltered "Hiccup maybe we shouldn't do this..."

His confused stare broke her heart "Why not?"

"It's just..." She began, unsure of what to say "Apparently people have seen us. Heather told me earlier. Maybe it would be best to lay low"

"I haven't heard anything"

'Of course not. Royals don't hear anything' She thought to herself.

"Well either way, going on a flight would not be a good idea. Someone might see us-"

"Let them"

Astrid sighed sadly "Hiccup..."

"Astrid" his arms finally loosened from her waist but instead he held her hands and looked her dead in the eye "Please"

It was the way he looked at her. There was a fracture in his gaze, bare emotion showing. The raw hurt lay there and she realised how fragile he truly was. Finding herself susceptible to his vulnerabilities, she said she only word she could think of.

"Ok"

xxxx

Astrid tried to enjoy the flight as best she could. However, she also tried to be cautious. She kept a wary eye out for pesky gossipers. There were a few people but, upon realising that she had no control over their actions, decided to ignore it for the time being.

Eventually they ended up on a new island. It fascinated her how she'd travelled practically everywhere with the Princess, and yet she still managed to find new places. The island was quaint and peaceful. Something about the quiet was very appealing to her. Hiccup still didn't seem settled. Astrid understood. She didn't push it, and instead, tried to distract him.

"You know what I love about flying"

"What?"

"The freedom. Out here I'm not of a lower class and I'm not a servant. I'm just... Astrid. A normal girl. I love Stormshine for giving me that ability"

"I completely agree. It's nice to lose the weight on your shoulders, even if it is only for a little while"

Astrid's smile faded ever so slightly as she steeled herself for what was about to happen "There was a time when I didn't think I'd be able to forgive dragons"

That peaked his curiosity "Why is that?"

She took a deep breath, she'd never done this before "I come from a disgraced family name. Both of my parents died at the hands of dragons when I was a baby. So I lived my Uncle Finn. He was absolutely amazing... But he also died when I was five. Also at the hands of dragons. They took away my family, such an integral part of somebody's life and I never got to even experience it. I would beb lying if I said I never held resentment towards them"

He nodded "You may not believe me, but I understand you perfectly. If it's alright, may I ask how you ended up working at the castle?"

Astrid waved him off "I don't mind in the slightest. Heather would sneak out of the castle and play in the village sometimes. We made good friends and when she realised of my situation, she asked her father if I could stay at the castle. Of course I was under the working age but they allowed me to stay. The King was very kind. If I'd asked, he probably wouldn't have made me work at all"

"And yet you chose to live this way, I must admit I find that quite interesting. How someone could have a chance to live in such 'glamour'" he paused to roll his eyes "And choose not to"

"I didn't earn it" she shrugged "I had no right to that kind of life and certainly didn't do anything to deserve it. Others probablu deserved it more, it wasn't fair to them. Besides, I like working for my merit, it always makes the small rewards worth it"

He smiled at her, it wasn't the same way he normally smiled at her, but it was something infinitely more tender.

"You're amazing"

Damn him and his ability to make her blush.

"Thank you"

Then she caught onto something "Wait a minute"

"What is it?"

"You said you understand. How? Last time I checked your family wasn't shamed, the opposite actually"

She wasn't being harsh, per say, just blunt.

He hesitated "My mother was taken by dragons when I was a baby. I never met her. When I first met Toothless, I was worried I would also hold resentments about my mother. I mean, a mother is meant to be one of the most important things in life. They support you, care for you, love you no matter what. I never haf that. My father did as best as he could but something wasn't the same. But, when I actually got to know Toothless-"

"He helped you forget about the past"

"Exactly" he smiled "You know, this might sound silly, but sometimes I think she might be alive"

Astrid was making it a habit to raise her eyebrow.

"It's just, knowing everything I know about dragons, I don't know part of me thinks might be some sort of dragon vigilante. Helping and rescuing." He chuckled "Ridiculous, I know"

"It's not" she disagreed "It's an understandable theory"

"You have no idea how nice it is to have someone not be so dismissive"

Her smile saddened "I think I do"

After that she decided to pay attention to her dragon. The two played for a while, Hiccup doing the same with Toothless, as best he could. She affectionately nuzzled Stormfly's snout before making her way over to Toothless and Hiccup. The latter was still in a rather distracted state. Toothless, deciding his rider was in good hands, threw the pair a look before going to play with Stormfly.

"You're not okay" she stated. There was no point in asking because she already knew the answer.

"No, I'm not" he sighed

With slight hesitation, she sat next to him. Astrid laid her head on his shoulder for a mere few seconds before gingerly lifting it. She shot him a shy but guarded look.

"May I?" the question left her lips meekly.

His smile was answer enough "Of course. Always"

Returning his smile, she returned to her original position. A content silence filled the air.

"This makes me feel better" Hiccup admitted.

"It might make you feel even better if you talk about it" Astrid offered

"It's my father"

"Oh?" Astrid cocked an eyebrow "What about him?"

"He's just... He's really... He sometimes..." Hiccup struggled to form the sentence.

"Take your time" she reminded him gently.

"He keeps talking about marriage. And I get that I'm growing up and everything and I should be thinking about this stuff soon, but now? It's just too soon."

"Why?" She knew the answer but she had a feeling he needed to say it too.

"I'm only eighteen. I have my entire life to get married and become king and start a family. I don't understand why I have to do everything right now"

"That's not entirely true, is it?" she asked knowingly.

"... No" he confessed "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know what I'm really saying, even when I'm not saying it. Nobody's ever really... Done that before"

Astrid struggled to formulate an explanation. How could she explain this connection? She wasn't even sure she understood it.

"I never take anything at face value" was what she settled on.

"Why is that?"

"People don't mean what they say, they have ulterior motives. Look out for them, spot them, stop them, save yourself from getting hurt" She shrugged as casually as she could.

"That's not-"

"Trust me, it is" Astrid cut him off, she knew far too well "But this isn't about me. It's about you. Why don't you want to get married? Really?"

Her pointed look made him crack "I'm not good enough!"

At that she raised an eyeb5row, half in confusion and half in concern.

"I was Hiccup the screw up until three years ago. And now they've built me up to be some amazing heroic figure that I'm just not. I'm still... Me. I have no idea how to run a kingdom. My dad was always disappointed in me. Everybody was disappointed in me. I trained Toothless and suddenly everybody loves me. That doesn't change who I am. At the end of the day I'm the same person who couldn't do anything right."

"Hiccup..." she began gently but he disregarded her and continued talking

"And besides, what I said before was true. I like being young. I enjoy exploring with Toothless. If I get married everything will be full speed ahead. First marriage, then becoming chief and then it's having an heir! Becoming a father! Me! I'm not-"

change

"Hiccup!" Astrid successfully cut in. She couldn't stand listening to his self depreciation anymore.

Her outburst had effectively silenced him. With slight caution, she reached out and cupped his face in her hands. Clearly the action surprised him too, she could see it in the way his eyes widened.

"Please listen to me" Astrid begged, voice laced desperation "I hate, I absolutely hate the way people treated you before Toothless. It was wrong on so many levels. As a servant, I understand how rotten treatment can make a person feel. And I get that it's worse for you because it's like not meeting expectations. But I promise you, you meet every expectation and more. Hiccup you... You were yourself at a time when people told you not to be. Don't you see how strong you are? I've not been with you your entire life but I've heard the stories. You think you won't be good enough... You've proved yourself time and time again when you don't need to. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. You're amazing just as you are"

He stared at her for a few seconds before breathing out "Thank you"

"You're welcome"

And then it began to register how close they actually were. They were too close and getting closer. His forehead rested against hers and she knew exactly where this was heading. She'd been here before. Astrid never wanted the moment to end. But that was the problem.

In that moment, she was Astrid.

Astrid. Servant. Not princess. She was labelled whether she liked it or not. She couldn't. It wouldn't be right.

"We can't" she whispered.

"Why not?" came his instant, urgent reply "You said it yourself, no labels"

"Yes" she swallowed thickly, despite the lump in her throat "But when we go back there will be. When you go back to Berk tomorrow, there will be."

He stared at her, pain evident in his eyes,

along with a few tears "Astrid I... Look I know we haven't known each other long but I think I might be in lo-"

"No" she stopped him gently. She didn't want to hear it. She couldn't. Astrid was strong, but that would break her. "Don't"

Against her own want, Astrid created some space between them. She beckoned Stormfly over and got onto her dragon "W-we should go"

"I uh... Yeah, we should" he agreed awkwardly

They flew back in silence. It was too dark for Hiccup to tell properly, but tears were streaming down her cheeks. As she stared at the boy, who's heart she'd very clearly broken, she wondered why the world was so cruel.

xxxx

They mounted in the stable. Astrid turned to him and mustered as much of a smile as she could.

"Tonight was nice. Thank you"

She turned to leave when a hand on her arm stopped her. She turned to meet his emerald eyes, shining with despair.

"Walk me back to my chamber?"

"I don't know..."

"Please"

She bit her lip "Okay"

And so they walked in deafening silence. The atmosphere was rife with tension. Every word needed to be said hung loosely in the air, waiting to be used.

"I need to know something" Hiccup broke the silence

"What is it?"

"Were you at the Royal Ball?"

There it was. The question she'd dreaded so greatly. She knew she had to lie. In the long run it would be better for him. But just because she knew had to do it, didn't make it any easier to do.

"Maybe for an hour or two, as a server. I recall leaving quite early on in the night for some quality time with Stormshine"

His shoulders sagged, completely defeated "Oh"

"Is everything alright?"

"Y- yeah... I just... I thought... Well it doesn't matter now. You couldn't be her"

And she wanted to scream. Because it _was_ her. But he couldn't know that, it would be better if he didn't. At least, that's what she told herself.

"I'm going to miss you" she blurted without thinking.

"I'm going to miss you too. Hopefully I'll get to see you before I leave"

"Hopefully. Though the castle is very busy..."

"I'll look out for you"

She nodded "As will I"

"I just wanted to thank you. I haven't had anyone to talk to in a while and this week was truly wonderful for me"

"I enjoyed your company as well. And I haven't talked about my family in years. It was very refreshing''

Eventually, Astrid had found that time had slipped away from them once more "I guess this is it"

"I guess so. Look Astrid about earlier I just wanted to say-"

"You don't have to" she smiled as best she could, hiding her heartbreak "Goodnight Hiccup"

That was it. She knew it was going to happen. Astrid had been warned. The Prince's heart was broken. Hers was shattered. She understood that one heart would break tonight. She'd just assumed it would be her own, not both.

This was really inevitable.

 _ **Jeez this was certainly a filler chapter! Sorry if it was too long!**_

 _ **So I'm going to see Httyd: The Hidden World tomorrow (finally)! But no need to worry! I'm still planning on finishing this story and maybe writing a few others if people want me to**_

 _ **Fun Fact #2: This entire book is based off of the dialogue "Touché" "I believe it's**_ _**pronounced tooshy" Weird, I know. I thought of that one thing and automatically thought about Astrid and Tuff. It just seemed very them. Somehow that turned into this and... Yeah.**_

As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)

Shohini :)


	9. Fallout

"Why do you do this?"

Astrid turned to look at the Princess "Do what?"

"Deny yourself happiness"

Astrid continued to clean the Princess's room, unfazed by accusation "I'm perfectly happy Princess"

"Is that true?"

"Yes, I'm content with my life"

"You used the word 'content' that time" Heather pointed out.

"Why does that matter?"

"There's a difference between being happy and being content"

"Enlighten me" Astrid resisted the urge to roll her eyes, she had to be respectful. She could not be rude to royalty, no matter how close they were

"Being happy is not the same as being content. Happiness is genuine, content is only being at peace with something"

"Why is that such a bad thing? Why can't I just be at peace with my life?"

"Astrid it's not a bad thing, of course it's good that you're okay with your life but being content means settling. You've settled for this lifestyle and now it's like you won't let yourself have, or even want, more"

"Princess Heather I've never wanted more because I've never needed more"

"And if you had the chance?"

Swiftly dodging the question, she looked away and kept working "Where is this coming from Princess Heather?"

"I was speaking with Prince Hiccup, he was trying to hide it but he was like a kicked dragon. He was so... Sad. He wouldn't talk about it, and you've been awfully quiet yourself, I can put two and two together"

Astrid looked down, tired of lying "We nearly kissed last night"

"You kissed?!"

"Nearly" she emphasized "I... I stopped it"

Her gaze softened "Why?"

"Because" she said, her calm demeanour faltering "Because it shouldn't have happened. Not even nearly. He's a Prince and I'm a servant. That's just the way it is"

"Astrid you do remember that there is no official rule against royals and villagers being together, right?"

"That doesn't make it easy" Astrid automatically countered "Just because we can be together, doesn't mean we should be. Nobody would approve of us"

"Astrid that doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does" She replied, her calm demeanour faltering "He's been subject to enough scrutiny already. I will not be another reason for him to face it again"

"He doesn't care about that sort of stuff"

"But I do. I care about him too much to let him go through that again"

"Astrid, he obviously loves you enough to ignore all of that"

"W-who said anything about l-love?"

Heather shot her a dead pan look "Come on"

"Even if I did love him, how am I meant to explain everything? I've been _lying_ to him all week"

"He'll understand-"

"I don't want him to have regrets" she said quietly "What if he finds out about my lies and feels betrayed and regrets spending all of this time with me?"

"Then you'll deal with it" she replied calmly "You'll explain your feelings and tell him your reasoning. But, if you won't tell him how you feel, you should tell him about the ball. At the very least, he deserves that"

Astrid pondered over the statement for a moment. Heather made a good point. She'd already messed with his emotions enough this week. Maybe he- _No -_ he definitely deserved some truth.

"You're right" she concluded "He deserves the truth"

"So you're gonna tell him everything?"

"No" she shook her head "I've said it multiple times, admitting my feelings would lead to nothing"

"But you know he feels the same way, he nearly _kissed_ you for Thor's sake!"

"Still" she persisted "Say... Say it did work out. I don't want to leave Beserker Island. This is my home. I barely know Berk. All of my friends are here. My entire life is here. I could never give that up for something so uncertain"

All frustration dissipated, Heather look at her softly "Astrid, don't get me wrong, if you left I'd miss you like crazy. But if he makes you happy then you should go for it! I've known you for 10 years and in every one of those years you've denied yourself true happiness. I've watched you settle for this life without trying for more time and time again. It's enough. You need to just go for it. What happens, happens. You need to at least take a risk. Life is too short. You need to express your feelings. Stop wasting time.You two are perfect."

The servant girl had no idea what came over her. Maybe it was the Princess's motivational speech, maybe it was years of suppressed emotions coming to surface, or maybe it was something else all together but she agreed with Heather. She wanted to take a risk and put everything on the table. She was ready to do this.

He wouldn't regret her. He's Hiccup. Hiccup's not like that, and she understood that now.

"You're right'' she nodded, grin rapidly crossing her face "I'm going to tell him"

"Everything?"

"Everything." Astrid confirmed as Heather all but lunged towards her, entrapping her in a hug.

Normally, for obvious reasons, Astrid wouldn't hug the Princess. She did a fairly good job of maintaining a friendship with Heather without breaking any boundaries. Normally, Astrid would break away from the hug abruptly and resume working. But Astrid was about to confess her undying love for a royal as well as reveal that he'd also fallen for her earlier that week when she had disguised herself as a princess.

Nothing was normal.

A mix of emotions and adrenaline coursed through Astrid's body. The sensation was overwhelming for her to the point where she almost lost balance. She gripped onto Heather's arms for support, smile never leaving her face.

"Are you really going to do this?"

"Yeah" she beamed "I am"

xxxx

She needed to find him.

Hiccup was leaving soon and the thought of him leaving without any knowledge of the truth made her nauseous. She looked everywhere but the castle was so busy. Chamber to chamber, corridor to corridor, she couldn't find him anywhere. Relief flooded her entire being as she finally heard his voice. She wasn't too late.

Her original plan was to find him and make up an excuse for him to need to leave. An emergency of some sort that only he could attend to. Closer and closer, her heart beat picked up to a mile aa minute. She was going to do this. She was going to do this. _She was going to do this._

Until she heard his voice, and her heart broke all over again.

"That would never happen! I'm a Prince and she's a servant. We live in two different worlds"

She didn't have to guess what this conversation was about.

"Astrid, if that even is her name, is just a girl who helped me find my way back to my chambers after flights. She's not important to me, end of discussion"

Astrid was running before she even knew it.

In hindsight, she should have known better. All the talk about how everyone is equal and how her feelings actually matter, it was just talk. He hadn't meant it, what a surprise. She'd learnt this lesson time and time again. Yet, this somehow felt more painful than every previous time combined. She'd been honest with him about very personal stuff, and vice versa. She thought that might have actually meant something. Apparently not.

And what was worse, she didn't know if he was lying. He'd obviously been talking to another royal. Maybe he had to say that to keep a mask of some sort, but it didn't add up. If he believed so strongly in the things he claimed he did, why would he lie?

Either he was lying to her or himself. She couldn't figure out if he knew he was doing it. Either one ended up with her getting hurt, so she couldn't figure out which was worse.

And maybe she had no right to be angry, she after all had said those things herself. But hearing Hiccup say it was completely different, he was never meant to believe that kind of thing.

Astrid didn't even realise she was crying until she felt a tear run down her cheek.

xxxx

Shortly after that, Astrid realized that could not wallow in her own self-pity, and so continued to work. She had talked to Heather and tearfully admitted to what she heard. Naturally, Heather got angry on her behalf. It was times like that where Astrid really appreciated the Princess.

Astrid was roaming the castle walls, basket of the Princess's gowns in hand, when she was approached by the ever optimistic Prince Hiccup.

"Astrid!" He exclaimed excitedly, rushing towards her. He grabbed her arm as she flinched.

She felt fire surge in her veins instantly. He wanted to say awful things about her behind her back, and then come up to her and act like everything was normal. _How dare he?!_

"I'm surprised you remember my name" she replied coldly, yanking her arm away from his grip.

Still, he grasped her arm again "Hey, what's wrong?"

There were no other servants around, they were in complete privacy. She didn't have to monitor her behaviour. And, even after everything they'd been through, she felt no need to do so with him.

"Like you care" she rolled her eyes trying to walk away.

Her attempt proved to be futile as he blocked her path "Where is this coming from?"

"It shouldn't matter to you. In fact, I know it doesn't matter to you. And why would it? _I'm just a girl who helped you find your way back to your chambers after flights. I'm not important_ " she watched the realization contort onto his face

"Oh gods, you heard that" he said, voice panicked "Look Astrid, that wasn't-"

"What it sounded like? Classic. What else? You didn't mean it? This is just a big misunderstanding? Spare me" She waved a dismissive hand.

"Wait, please, I really need to talk to you-"

"'We have nothing to talk about" she hated the meekness of her voice, and she hated how he brought it out in her

"But you don't understand see-"

 _"Prince Hiccup"_ she began, watching the desperation transform to pure hurt "I have more urgent matters to attend to right now, if you need help then I'm sure one of the other servants would be happy to help you"

She began to walk away. It had only been a few paces before she stopped. Everytime she saw him her heart shattered all over again. Yet, she turned around once more. There was one more thing she needed to say.

"You know what hurts most about all of this? You almost kissed me last night, you almost said you were in love. And I-"

She paused, not trusting the power of her own voice. She feared that if she did not leave soon, she would break altogether.

"I actually believed you"

 _ ***hides* Please don't kill me!**_

 _ **I completely get if people don't like this chapter. Hiccup was very ooc in the middle section, but it will all be explained. I wasn't sure if I was going to include this as part of the story, but in the end I decided it was necessary. I think there's still a few things that both Astrid and Hiccup need to work through before being able to be together. Don't worry, it'll all come out in the final confrontation.**_

 _ **Fun fact #3: This story originally had a different premise. Like I said in the previous fun fact, the story originated from a tiny piece of dialogue. However, in the original Astrid was going to be a servant for Hiccup and not Heather.**_ _ **The original storyline was going to be Hiccup and Astrid navigating a secret relationship whilst dealing with a princess wanting to marry Hiccup. I really loved it but in the end, I couldn't quite figure a clear chain of events. I might come back to it at some point.**_

 _ **Next chapter: We see a little bit more of Hiccup's POV...**_

 _ **As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)**_

 _ **Shohini :)**_


	10. Normal

Hiccup had no idea what to do.

How could he explain this to her? She hadn't heard the full conversion! There was so much more she needed to hear! How could he make her believe him?

He was brought out of his thoughts by the shrill screech of an angry princess.

"HICCUP!"

Heather's bellow could be heard on the other end of the castle.

"You rat eating, good for nothing munge bucket-"

Hiccup winced "She told you?"

"Of course she told me!" Heather all but yelled, eyes blazing "What in Helheim is wrong with you?! How could you say something like that? _Why_ would you say something like that?!"

"It's... Complicated" he almost cringed at the vague description.

Hiccup knew why Heather was so angry, she had every right to be. She was just protecting her friend. Hiccup also knew he could explain everything, but he wanted Astrid to be the first to hear it.

"I don't get it Hiccup" Heather sighed exasperated "What you said... That wasn't you at all"

"I know it wasn't" he brought a hand to his forehead in a distressed manner "Look, that conversation she heard, there was a lot more she doesn't know about"

"Even if that's true, why would you insult her like that? You could've just denied having romantic feelings for her without undermining her"

"I know, I know, believe me I know" he moved his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose "Look I could tell you everything, and you'll probably hear it at some point anyway, but I really want to sort this out with Astrid first. Do you know where she is?"

The way Heather looked at him, it was too gentle to be angry, yet too cold to be sympathetic "She said she needed to be alone. I think she went on a flight with her dragon, I don't know where to"

Instantly, Hiccup felt himself deflate with defeat. If she'd gone on a flight, she could be anywhere. If it was up to him, he'd fly everywhere to find her. He'd fly to the end of the Archipelago and back so he could find her and explain himself. But it wasn't up to him. He left in just under an hour. His father had been very strict about leaving on time. And frankly, with all of his disobedience this trip, he didn't have much room to argue. He wouldn't be able to find her and get himself ready in that time. He prayed she'd come back soon.

"Great" now it was his turn to sigh "Right now, I've gotta Toothless ready for the flight home. I suppose I just have to see her when she returns. Or send her a terror mail or something from Berk. I honestly don't know. "

"Just do whatever you need to do Hiccup" Heather stare cut into him deep. She began to leave but he needed to know.

"Wait Heather!"

She turned around, face neutral. Her features were so calm it was almost scary.

"Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"I hope so" she confessed "You affected her a lot more than she lets on"

"How so?"

"I've known Astrid for 10 years. And in those 10 years, she's never cried" came her cryptic response.

"S-she was c-crying?"

Her look was answer enough. His heart sank to his stomach "Oh"

"You need to fix this Hiccup"

He really, really did.

xxxx

"This is so stupid" she muttered to herself, desperately dabbing at her face.

Astrid didn't know what was happening to her. She never behaved this way. Her emotions were always intact. They had to be. She could not afford to give other servants more ammunition against her. Astrid was a Hofferson. Despite her tarnished family name, she knew the truth. Hoffersons were - _are_ \- not weak.

Yet here she was, reduced to a puddle of tears in a lonely room located Thor-knows-where in the castle grounds.

Something about the conversation with Hiccup... It just broke her. Suddenly, her emotions were impossible to contain. She'd practiced hiding her emotions for years, some would even call her an expert. And now all her hard work was for nothing.

In some ways, it sparked anger in her. She didn't know why Hiccup had such a big grip on her life. He had no right to do this. He was not allowed to come in and mess up almost every aspect of her life and just leave again. It wasn't fair to her. She was perfectly content with her life before he came along. Not happy, maybe, but that was okay. She never strived for, or even desired, happiness in the same way others around her did. Astrid didn't need Hiccup.

But, curse her wretched heart, she still wanted him.

True, maybe she'd started this whole mess when she dressed as the Princess, but then he certainly contributed as well. It was almost funny, she lamented to herself bitterly, how someone could have the power to make you feel like you were soaring in the clouds and then also have the power to make you feel like you were 6 feet under.

"Astrid?" the voices of Ruffnut and Tuffnut blended together and echoed around the isolated room.

"Oh, hey you guys" Astrid automatically got up and wiped away a stray tear "What's up?"

"Just the person we're looking for!" Tuffnut exclaimed, slinging his arm around her "Ruffnut and I were having a little disagreement and we need the input of an expert"

"Sweet talking won't sway me Tuff" She scoffed in an amused fashion "What's it about this time?"

Maybe this is what she needed, maybe she needed some normal.

"So we were discussing diseases and death, you know, all that fun stuff. And then Ruffnut, the heathen, decides to say that the best way to stop disease is by burning your clothes. Everyone knows the best way to stop disease is by eating mouldy bread!"

"That's not true! Burning clothes is way better!"

"Mould!"

"Burn!"

"Mould!"

"Burn!"

"Mou-!"

"You guys" she interrupted, smiling as much as she could "Hate to break it to you, but both of those are terrible"

"Oh yeah well I take back my expert comment! You CLEARLY don't- Hey Hoff what happened to your face?" Tuffnut interrupted himself

"What? Oh nothing, don't worry" her smile became fake as she wiped away a rebellious tear.

"It looks like someone rained on your face!"

"Awww geez Tuffnut I'm blushing" she mocked, somewhat bitter "Look it really doesn't matter"

"Oh my gods! You're crying! The great Astrid Hofferson is crying! This-" he was cut off by a swift punch to the arm delivered by Ruffnut.

"Hey! Astrid doesn't cry! It's... The dust! The dust! The dust you hear me, the dust!" Ruffnut insisted as Astrid threw a grateful smile in her direction.

"Thanks Ruff"

"Anytime. You wanna talk about it?"

"The opposite actually, I want to get my mind off of it. I think I'm just gonna go on a flight, that's what Heather thinks I'm doing anyway"

"If you're sure"

"Hey A, you want a hug?" the male twinn offered.

"Um..." Astrid hesitated slightly.

Before she knew it Tuffnut was rushing towards her. She felt arms wrap her around her. But...

"TUFFNUT YOU MUTTON HEAD! THAT'S A HEAD LOCK!"

"LET ME HUG HOW I HUG!"

Despite the soul crushing pain in her chest, Astrid found the strength to laugh.

 _This_ , to her, was definitely normal.

xxxx

"Hey girl" Astrid smiled gently "Guess what just arrived at the castle?"

Astrid slyly brought out a barrel of chicken which Stormfly expected without hesitation.

"Just my way of apologizing" she said with a tiny grimace "I'm sorry for ignoring you this week"

The way Stormfly looked at her, it was pity. _Dragon pity_.

"Oh come on Stormfly, don't look at me like that" she smiled as best she could "Really, I'm fine"

Another look that saw right through her.

"Alright, I'm not fine" she confessed "But I promise, I'll be okay"

At that, Stormfly gave her what she could only assume was a hug. An act that Astrid accepted with pleasure. Even if not everything worked out for her, there always going to be things that made the hardships worth it.

"You know what Stormfly, this week has been absolutely crazy" Astrid began, adjusting her dragon's saddle "Between Prince Hiccup and the late night meetings... A lot has been going on."

Stormfly nuzzled her in a comforting manner.

"Well I certainly need a break" she giggled lightly "And I have a feeling you need to stretch your wings. Why don't we get away for a while, yeah?"

Stormfly sqauwked happily.

"Yeah, I thought so" She said amusedly "To be honest, I need to figure out some stuff away from here. I was a bit of a silly girl. I allowed myself to actually fall for the Prince. Of all the people in the world, it had to be a Prince. I actually thought he was different. That he might really feel... Well I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. I was wrong, clearly"

The chuckle that escaped her sounded so wrong. It was bitter and twisted. Soon she realized she was getting emotional again and attempted to blink back tears.

"Oh gods, look at me. A teary mess in the stables" she said, desperately scrubbing at her face "I guess with everything that's been happening, my emotions are getting harder to contain. But that's not me at all. It's just right now, I feel so many things. I'm overwhelmed, and I'm upset and a little angry. Plus sadness, confusion. Gods, so many emotions. But time with my favourite dragon will always make me feel better. So come on Stormfly..."

She made the final adjustments to her dragon's saddle.

"Take me anywhere girl"

She heard a soft gasp from behind her.

 _"You"_

 _ **The end is nearing you guys... Wow I don't know if I'm ready XD.**_

 _ **Fun fact #3:**_ _**All the serious stuff was never meant to be a part of the story. I've written some fanfiction in the past but it was always very angsty. I really wanted to try something different. But as it would turn out, I'm kind of incapable of doing a story without any angst whatsoever. Plus with the setting and context of the story, as well as the way I'd set up the characters, all the seriousness kind of made sense. But hopefully I've managed to balance seriousness and comedy well, I don't know, this is the first time I've written comedy for fanfiction.**_

 _ **Next chapter: Final Confrontation.**_

 _ **As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)**_

 _ **Shohini :)**_


	11. Love is worth the pain

Dear Gods.

She was so _busted_.

"P-prince Hiccup what are you doing here?"

"You were the one I danced with at the royal ball"

"I asked you first" she deflected, crossing her arms.

"I was coming here to get Toothless ready for the flight home. Your turn" he mirrored her action.

"Well technically what you said was more of a statement than a question so-"

"Astrid."

"I don't know what you you're talking about nor how you came to this conclusion but-"

"I had my suspicions, throughout the week. But what you just said, that confirmed it"

Astrid ran through what she had been saying to Stormfly, trying to figure out what tipped Hiccup off to her identity. He saw her trying to piece it together, and did so for her.

"You called your dragon Stormfly" he gestured to her scaly companion "That's what the Princess said her dragon was called"

"You may have misheard-"

"You also said you were overwhelmed, upset and angry before saying 'Take me anywhere girl'. That's exactly what the Princess said"

He had her cornered. The evidence was there. No matter how long she would deny if for, he wouldn't believe her. It would be so easy to call it a coincidence and wave it off. She could hop onto Stormfly and just fly away. Wait until he had to leave and then return. But none of those would work.

This was it. No more hiding.

She averted her gaze to the floor "Yes. I was the one that you danced with"

Silence. Tense, tense silence.

She gestured for Stormfly to go play with Toothless, who was also anxiously watching the pair. Stormfly did so with a great deal reluctance, leaving the two to sort out their feelings.

More silence.

"I don't get it" he shook his head "I asked you about the royal ball and you said you were only there for a few hours. You lied to me."

"Like you don't know a thing or two about lying" she scoffed cynically.

"Astrid I never lied-"

"Don't give me that!" she interrupted fiercely. He was _not_ about to deny this. She wouldn't let him "You told me that you thought everyone was equal. You told me that my feelings mattered. And then you completely contradicted yourself with whomever it was you were talking to earlier. So yes, yes you did lie. But tell me Prince Hiccup, who were you lying to? Because you couldn't have been telling the truth to both of us, and I have a sneaking suspicion about who actually got lied to"

"I never lied to you!" he exclaimed before attempting to calm himself down "I never lied to you"

"Like I'm going to believe that" she replied sarcastically.

"I didn't, really!" he stepped forward, reaching to take her hand in his own. Though it pained her to do so, Astrid rejected his advance, stepping backwards and shaking her head. Hurt washed across his face. Slowly, he retracted his hand.

"I heard what you said" her voice shook as she spoke.

"I know and I'm sorry that I said it but you only heard part of the conversation"

"What more could you possibly have to say?" she asked, blinking back tears.

"If you'd just let me explain I'd tell you!"

She didn't want to hear it, but she was so tired of fighting. She leant back against the stable wall "Fine"

Clearly he hadn't been expecting that answer, she could tell from his wide eyes "What?"

"Explain. I'm listening"

He crossed his arms again "Will you actually listen? Or will you just reject everything I say?"

A sigh escaped her lips, it was difficult for her but she figured she could at least hear him out. She was curious to see what he came up with "I'm listening. Genuinely"

He seemed to believe "Good. So my father wanted to have a talk with me..."

xxxx

 _flashback_

 _"Son, we need to talk"_

 _"That's never good" Hiccup joked but changed his attitude upon seeing his father's face "What's wrong dad?"_

 _"I just felt it's time we had a chat about marriage and whatnot"_

 _He momentarily froze. He knew exactly who he wanted to marry. He wasn't so sure his father would agree "Why is that?"_

 _"It's just now that you're getting older, this is expected of you and it's important you remember the rules"_

 _Hiccup simply nodded, waiting for his father to continue._

 _"Now you know when you marry it'll be expected for you to be King. Or at least, start properly training"_

 _"I know that dad, but why do I have to get married so young?"_

 _"It's not that you have be married as such, but you should_ _at least be thinking about it. I can't have been much older than you when my marriage was arranged to your mother"_

 _"But dad, that was a different time._ _A lot of things have changed since then, including you"_

 _"Aye son but that does not mean everything should change. Some things are better left alone. But speaking of things not changing, there's one more thing we should talk about" he sighed gravely._

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Hiccup you understand that there are certain... Rules about the woman whom you eventually decide to court"_

 _He nodded blankly "I do understand that"_

 _"She would ideally be another royal but if not must still hold high stature in society. She must be of a decent class. We need someone with strong connections. Possibly with wealthy parents. She must be a respectable figure to others and-"_

 _"Dad I know all of this" he interrupted "May I ask where this talk is coming from?"_

 _Another sigh_ _"There's been a lot of talk around the castle_ _son_ "

 _"I thought you don't listen to castle talk"_

 _"Normally I don't, but a lot of it has been centred around you this week"_

 _He let out a low hum of disinterest_ _"Is that so?"_

 _"Yes, and it's all been about you being spotted with one of the servants on castle grounds late at night"_

 _The young Prince was unsure of what to say. He could not deny, but he certainly didn't want to confirm._

 _"People are always talking" was what he settled on._

 _"Which is exactly what I thought. Until I noticed you were being quite friendly with one particular servant. At first I thought nothing of it because you tend to be nice to everyone but this was different. Tell me honestly, have you been meeting up with some girl late at night?"_

 _"She isn't just some girl, her name is Astrid" he automatically defended without thinking, then realised what it must have sounded like and changed his tone "I think. But yes, we have been meeting"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"It really did begin as an accident" he explained hastily "_ _The truth is she's been helping me. I... Was going on midnight flights with Toothless" Hiccup confessed, purposely avoiding eye contact with his father "I stumbled into Astrid on the first night and she helped me back to my chamber. After that, I don't know. We just kept meeting"_

 _Stoick's face became grave "Hiccup you know I don't like you going on midnight flights in different lands. This isn't Berk son"_

 _"Again, I know that dad" Hiccup said with slight exasperation_ _"But I don't really understand your reasoning"_

 _"I've explained this to you before. It's unfair to make servants-"_

 _"Stay up so late, fine, I understand that point. But this girl never minded staying up for me and I made sure of that."_

 _"But still, the land is so marvellous_ _you should appreciate it, not go looking everywhere else_ _for something that is right in front of you. You should not disrespect the quality"_

 _"See, this is where I disagree" Hiccup replied as respectfully as he could "The land is marvellous but exploring it does not mean I do not appreciate it. If anything, I think what I do is more appreciative of the land. Not only do I love it enough to explore. I also want to expand it and see how much more beauty there truly is"_

 _"Son it's more complicated than that" Stoick said somewhat sadly "The truth is... I worry. We don't know everyone here. You never know who has a vendetta or who has a bone to pick. I just don't want you getting hurt. We've... I've nearly lost you so many times now"_

 _Hiccup saw it. That rare side of his dad. The caring, scared and, dare he say, vulnerable side of his father that almost never revealed itself. Hiccup felt closer to him because of it._

 _"Well that does make sense to me" he sighed "Okay dad you're right, I'll be careful next time"_

 _"Thank you Hiccup" his father said gratefully "Now about this girl..."_

 _"Dad we don't have to..."_

 _"Of course you should be kind to the servants. It helps with your reputation and it's simply a nice thing to do. But you must remember she can not be a princess so-"_

 _"Dad why are you telling me this? Of course she can't be princess. I get that. But it doesn't matter anyway" He felt the fifteen year old desperate to impress and seeking approval jump up within him_

 _Stoick's eyes narrowed "Does it not? So you don't feel any romantic feelings for this girl?"_

 _"Of course not!" He exclaimed hysterically._

 _"Are you sure?_ _You do not want to be with the servant?"_

 _'Astrid' he mentally corrected._

 _"That would never happen! I'm a Prince and she's a servant. We live in two different worlds"_

 _"Hiccup..."_

 _"Astrid, if that even is her name, is just a girl who helped me find my way back to my chambers after flights. She's not important to me, end of discussion"_

 _"Son I-"_

 _"How could I ever like a girl like that? It's unheard of! She's not of a royal standard. I could never..." He trailed off, finding himself in a large pit of self-loathing._

 _He could not insult Astrid like this, it was not fair to her. He loved her, but if he continued like this, he would not deserve her._

 _And so he shook his head "No, no, I can't do this. I did fall in love with her this week. And you know what? I can't say I'm sorry"_

 _He wasn't. He really wasn't._

 _"What about the Princess?"_

 _He hesitated "I don't know. I may never see her again. Whoever she is, she clearly didn't want to be found after that night. I love Astrid. She's kind and caring and compassionate. There's a quality about her. She knows what to say and exactly when to say it. She understands me better than anyone I've ever known. I know she doesn't meet royal standards, but she meets my standard. And I am completely and madly in love with her."_

 _His dad stared at him fondly "You sound exactly like me when I first defended your mother to my own father"_

 _Confusion rose within him "Wait what? Why would you have to defend mom?"_

 _"I haven't been entirely honest with you about your mother. The truth is she was a village girl too" Stoick confessed, much to his son's surprise_

 _"W-wait what?! Why wouldn't you tell me that?"_

 _"We lost your mother when you were a wee baby" his smile saddened "I was devastated. And I thought that if, when you were older, I put you into a political love rather than genuine, you would not have to bare the same pain I did if anything were to happen. But if you are truly as deeply in love as you say you are_ _, you should go for it!"_

 _"I should?"_

 _"Of course!"_

 _"What made you change your mind"_

 _His father's features softened "Love is a beautiful thing, and if you find it, you should fight for it. And never let it go."_

 _"Really? Even if there's pain?"_

 _Stoick let out a hearty chuckle "I'll tell you a secret son. Every relationship has pain, romantic or not. Love makes the pain worth it"_

 _Hiccup hugged his dad and allowed his organs to be crushed as he felt his dad return the hug. Adrenaline coursed through as he thought about what he was going to do._

 _He was going to tell Astrid he loves her._

xxxx

"Y-you really said that?" Astrid asked quietly, billions of thoughts swirling in her head.

"Yes and I wanted to tell you that, but you walked off before I could explain!"

"In my defense, I had just heard you say we couldn't ever be together and that I didn't matter to you, it's fair that I would assume anything else you had to say would be negative" she argued.

"I suppose that is fair. I can't say I'd have been too lenient either, had the roles been reversed. I just wished you'd let me explain a little bit" he paused momentarily "Just as I wish you'd told me about your identity earlier"

Astrid took a deep breath, he'd seen through her deflection.

"I did not mean to mess with your emotions, that was never my intention" Astrid told him sincerely "I only wanted to attend the ball, I never thought I would dance with you, let alone anything else. It truly was an accident"

"Why were you dressed as a princess in the first place?"

"It was rather silly really, Heather was talking about how she hated the marital pressure of the ball and I made a 8 comment about how I thought it would be fun to attend the ball and next thing I l know I'm in a ball gown. I was only going to stay for a few hours and then... You happened"

"But we've been spending so much time together this week. Why would you not tell me? Did you you not trust me?"

"Of course I trusted you. Hiccup, I told you about my family name. That's extremely sensitive to me, obviously I would have to trust you to tell you that"

"So if you trust me, why wouldn't you tell me?"

 _'He's really not giving up'_ Astrid thought to herself.

"Why did you say what you said to your father?" She asked, sad smile plastered onto her face. Upon seeing his wordless response, she answered for him "Because you were ashamed, or embarrassed, maybe, I don't know. But you didn't want to tell the truth about me"

"But I did tell him-"

"Not by first instinct" she cut him off "When confronted with the mere possibility of having feelings for someone like me your first instinct was to not only deny it, but also vehemently insult me in the process. Why?"

Once again, Hiccup was speechless. Astrid decided to continue.

"That is why I did not tell you. I knew that if you found out who I really was you'd regret that night at the ball. And that was the last thing I wanted"

"I would never regret that night. Ever"

"That's what I thought. I almost told you. I was on my way when I heard what you said. It was a reminder of sorts, I suppose. It made me remember and realize that" she paused, looking down "That telling you would ultimately amount to nothing"

"And why wouldn't it?" He questioned.

"Because it can't'' She responded bluntly "It's not like this changes anything. We could never be together. It's part of the reason I stopped you from kissing me last night"

"But Astrid, we can be together. I wouldn't care if we didn't, but we do have approval"

"Only from your father, not the rest of the Archipelago. They won't be easy to deal with. I'm not going to be the reason you face any more scrutiny" she sighed "I'm sorry to say it Prince Hiccup, but just because we'd like to believe we can be together, doesn't mean we actually can"

Hiccup's frown deepened "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Talk about what you'd like to believe and what you actually believe, as if there's a difference"

"I'd like to believe that every person is equal. But how can I when every piece of evidence points to the contrary?" she replied in a lieu of an explanation.

"I thought the same thing when I met Toothless" Hiccup said thoughtfully "I'd been raised to think of dragons of nothing but nuisances and pests. Cold blooded murderers that would always go for the kill. Yet, Toothless didn't. I wanted to believe that Toothless was simply a kind gentle creature but, like you, I didn't know how to think that given everything I'd been taught"

Now it was Astrid's turn to be speechless. Noticing this, Hiccup proceeded.

"So I began to look deeper into things. It was true, dragons had killed hundreds of them. But we'd killed _thousands_ of them. It wasn't their fault. They were being controlled, completely innocent. You can believe what you'd like to believe, sometimes you just to take on new perspectives to do it"

"Well enlighten me, how can I take a new perspective on our situation then?" she asked bitterly, finding herself getting increasingly frustrated by the Prince's persistence.

"Look, I love you and you love me. This should be about us. Not about anyone else. This is up to us"

She scoffed and frantically looked past him "I never said anything about loving you"

"You didn't need to"

I don't-"

"Yes you do" he countered fiercely.

"Cause you obviously know my feelings better than me" she deadpanned.

"Then look at me and say it"

"I did look at you"

He grabbed her chin and pulled her closer to him. The sudden move made Astrid breathless.

"Look me in the eyes... Tell me you don't love me... Do that and I'll leave you alone" the words barely come out as a mere whisper. So quiet yet, so clear.

She stared into his beautiful eyes and saw all of his emotions. Love, passion, fear, sadness and so much more. In that moment, she truly understood how much he loved her . she couldn't do this. she couldn't break his heart.

"Gods above Hiccup" she groaned, tearing herself away from his grip "Why do you have to make this so difficult?"

"So you do love me" he said, a hint of amusement lying in his voice.

"You know that I do" she snapped "Your optimism is infuriating you know"

"I know" he flashed her a grin "But the optimism makes the drama easier to put up with"

"And Thor knows how much of that you've had to put up with this week" Astrid said "Gods, if I'd known how much drama would happen after the ball, I wouldn't have even gone"

"Funny" he said walking closer to her, daringly putting his hands on her waist. She froze on the spot "Because if I'd known everything that would happen after the ball, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again"

"Y-You would? Why?"

"Because it, at the end of it all, it would still lead me back to _you_ "

"But Hiccup look at me" Her voice cracked painfully as she looked down, attempting to remove his hands "We do live in two different worlds. I could never be royalty. That night I was a princess was a one time thing. It's not who I am, I don't know how to do it. and I don't want to embarrass you..."

He removed his hands from her waist, only to cup her face and tilt her head upwards, forcing her to look at him. "Please listen to me"

She found herself too captivated by his gaze to resist.

"Whether you're a Princess or a servant, I don't care. I fell in love _you_. And no matter what happens, as long as you continue to be understanding, loving and empathetic. As long as you always keep that calm but fierce spark in you. As long as you keep being yourself, I will always love you."

She swallowed thickly, despite lump forming in her throat. Astrid could feel herself giving into her emotions. No matter what reason, excuse or explanation she came up with, it was to no avail. She wanted him, there was no point in denying it anymore.

"I love you too"

The way his eyes lit up made her heart soar. His grin was infectious, as Astrid also found herself smiling. It was like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and now, cliche as it sounded, she was floating on air. Butterflies invaded her stomach as he moved closer. He stopped, as if to ask for permission. She wasn't surprised, he tended to do this. She nodded, anticipation rising within her.

In that moment, she was Astrid. But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

Their lips connected and Astrid was flooded with joy. In At that time, nothing stood in their way. Being with him just felt right. There were thousands of cliche ways to describe the kiss. She didn't care about the labels. Let them be. For the first time in years, she was genuinely happy. Astrid never understood how amazing the feeling was, and now she had it, she never wanted to let it go. And in that moment, she vowed to always strive for that feeling in the future.

Feeling elated, she slid her hands up to Hiccup's waist and pulled him closer. His lips moved insistently against hers. It was gentle but passionate. She couldn't help but smile into the kiss. It was pure bliss. She wanted the moment to last forever.

Eventually, he pulled away. Astrid was absolutely sure she was smiling like an idiot. She didn't mind, he was too. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Gods, I love you" he whispered before kissing her again.

"I" kiss "Love you" another kiss "Too" One more kiss "So much"

There was a time where Astrid never thought she'd get here. Not as in kissing a Prince in the middle of the stables. Well, okay, she hadn't really imagined _that_ scenario either but it wasn't the one she was talking about.

The whole love thing was what she was talking about. Astrid had never really seen herself falling in love with anyone, let alone a Prince. It's not that she didn't want, she just never really saw it happening for herself. What with her low class and family name, she didn't think anyone would want her, didn't see how they could. And so she'd resided to a life of servitude and solitude. Astrid couldn't say the idea particularly upset her. Over thethe years settling had become rather easy to do. It was only now, with him, she began to understand the truth. That she deserved love, and that she could fight for it.

And it wouldn't be easy. She was not blind to the challenges that faced them. It would be okay, they could handle it.

The love would make the pain worth it.

 _ **And... That's it! Well except for the epilogue.**_

 _ **The final film may have already come out but the franchise is not over for me. Which is why I'm planning on continuing to write for the fandom!**_

 _ **So I have a sequel prepared. And here's the plot:**_

 _ **Being a princess for the rest of your life is much harder than just for one night, and Astrid's learning that the hard way. As Astrid tries to get a grip on her new life, she can't help but be intrigued by a rogue rider...**_

 _ **And on top of that I'm going to do one more story. I'm currently deciding between two. So instead of a fun fact I'm going to tell you both plots and you can tell me which you'd rather read.**_

 _ **Story 1: AU set in the rtte timeline. Astrid had been taken from Berk and raised under the hand of Viggo Grimborn and his brother Ryker. Now at 18 she has a secret, she loves dragons. As she finally tries to escape, her life is turned upside down by the dragon riders. Especially one rider that she has an undeniable connection with. Now she must figure out what she's going to do, and who she wants to be.**_

 _ **Story 2: Modern AU. Astrid didn't have the best of lives. Being put into, and eventually being aged out of, the system wasn't fun. People had their own opinions on foster kids. And more often than not, they were negative, so she kept it to herself. She had had her fair share of foster placements but none ever stuck. Still, despite her rough upbringing she still managed to create a stable life for herself. At the age of 18, she's working at a neat coffee shop just off campus of Berk University. Her life was perfectly fine, enter Hiccup Haddock. Astrid struggles to navigate a relationship with him and hide her own history.**_

 _ **I get that a lot of people don't like modern AUs but I personally don't mind them. Plus, I really think that story could be very interesting. I love both stories so it's up to you! Tell me which one you want more!**_

 _ **As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)**_

 _ **Shohini :)**_


	12. Epilogue

"I can't believe this is happening" Ruffnut spoke from beside her as Astrid packed her bags.

"I honestly can't believe it either" Astrid replied, putting the last of her belongings into a small bag.

"How do you pack so quickly? It's unnatural" Ruff complained

"Oh come on Ruff, I'm a servant. Quick and efficient. Always ready to get the job done" she smiled proudly.

"And you basically own nothing?"

"... That too" Astrid admitted before they both burst into laughter.

"It's gonna be weird without you around" her best friend confessed once the laughter died down.

"It's gonna be weird not being around" the blonde soon to be princess replied looking around the tiny room.

"I'm really... Umm... I'm really gonna miss you"

"Awww Ruffnut has emotions" Astrid teased to lighten the mood.

"Shut up!" Ruffnut laughed "Never mind, I take it back. You're an awful human and I can't wait for you to leave"

"You looooveee me" She giggled hugging Ruffnut.

"Jeez what's gotten into you?" Ruff continued to chuckle, hugging back

"I don't know, I'm just happy. I'm not used to this" she replied with a loopy grin.

"Well happy you seems a lot like the you that's had too much of the ole glug glug, if ya know what I mean" the fellow servant made a drinking motion with her hands.

"What? I've never even had mead!" she exclaimed.

"Oh right, ya bore"

"Really feeling the love Ruff"

"You should"

Another fit of laughter.

She was really going to miss this.

xxxx

"Hey you" Astrid heard Hiccup from behind her.

"Hey" she smiled gently.

"You nearly ready? We're leaving in half an hour" he asked coming into the room.

"Yeah, yeah I think I'm ready" she looked at her bag "I hope Stormfly will adjust okay"

"She seemed to get along with Toothless so the two of them will stick together the first few days. Besides, the dragons on Berk are all really friendly. She'll fit right in" Hiccup took her hands in his own "Milady, everything will be absolutely fine"

"Milady?" she quirked an eyebrow, smiling slightly "I like the sound of that"

"I was kind of hoping you would" he smirked before kissing her quickly.

On instinct, she jumped back and looked around nervously.

"Careful! Someone might see you" she hissed.

Upon seeing his amused face, it hit her. They were a couple. They could kiss and be seen. She really had to stop forgetting that.

"Right, we're actually together" she giggled "Still gotta get used to that"

He simply chuckled in response and kissed her again. Astrid smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, moving her hands to his hair. A sound that crossed somewhere between pleasure and surprise escaped his lips as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. She pulled away, still unbelievably happy

"I love you" she smiled softly

"I love you too" he was grinning from ear to ear "You sure you're ready?"

"As I'll ever be" came her quick response.

"I'm glad" something in his smile shifted "Remember that when you meet my father"

"Y- your dad?"

"You did realize that you'd have to meet him, right?"

It had completely slipped her mind.

"Hm? Oh yeah, totally" she responded with faux confidence.

"Uh huh, sure" she wanted to wipe the grin right off of his face. Smug half troll.

"So when am I meeting him?"

"Right now if you're ready"

"As I'll ever be" she parroted with a little less confidence.

Hiccup held her hand and rubbed comforting circles over her knuckle with his thumb.

"Hey, don't worry" he reminded gently "He's going to love you"

When he held her hand like that, smiling that smile and looking at her with those beautiful eyes, she could believe anything he said. She pecked his lips quickly.

"Thank you" she said sincerely "I really am ready now"

He continued to smile as he lead her out of the room. She mentally prepared herself.

She could do this.

xxxx

She _so_ could _not_ do this.

He was only a few feet away from her. Yet it felt like it would take years to simply walk over. He was so... Intimidating. And all he was doing was smiling. She wanted to go over. Walk over with a smile and just say "Hi King Stoick, my name is Astrid. I'm the one that caused your son to defy you and go against all the marriage rules"...

Yeah, no, she couldn't do that.

Her feet were stuck to the ground like glue. She was so immersed in her panic and anxiety she barely registered the Prince coming over and draping an arm around her waist.

"You'll be fine"

"He's gonna hate me"

"He's going to love you"

"How are you so sure?"

"Because I love you"

She looked away, blushing profusely "You can't keep saying that"

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer" she could hear the grin in his voice.

"Because it makes me blush!" She exclaimed "I look like a tomato when I blush"

"Well I think you look beautiful" he winked before kissing her cheek "Does that make you blush?"

"Hiccup" she said in a warning tone.

"Or this?" he kissed her forehead.

Oh damn him.

"Hiccup I mean it" she said in the same tone, though it was obvious there was no anger behind it.

"Oh come on Astrid, I'm just making my girlfriend blush" the term of endearment certainly had it's desired effect "See?"

"I hate you!" She laughed hitting his chest.

"I'm so hurt milady" he placed said with mock pain.

"As you should be" she stated matter-of-fact.

"I am deeply wounded, Astrid"

"Poor baby" she pouted jokingly.

Unbeknownst to her, the same royal figure she'd been peteified to meet had been looking at her and Hiccup with fond eyes.

"Ahem"

Astrid's laughter ceased and her eyes widened.

"Dad!" Hiccup said smiling "There's someone I'd like you to meet" he placed his arm around her waist again and pulled her towards him "This is Astrid Hofferson"

"It's an honour, your majesty" Astrid curtsied, following protocol.

A bellowing laugh left his lips "No need to curtsy lass"

She hesitantly came up from the curtsy.

"That's more like it! And I'll have none of that 'your majesty' stuff! It's Stoick! Or hey, maybe even dad!"

"DAD!"

Astrid looked over to Hiccup who was going bright red. She couldn't help but smirk slightly.

 _'Still like the whole blushing thing?'_

"It's a pleasure to meet you Stoick" she smiled, hiding her nerves

"And same to you. I just had to meet the girl who managed to steal my son's heart twice!"

"It has been quite the week" she laughed slightly.

"I can imagine. You must be quite the girl if you can get my son over to here to take responsibility for something"

"Aaaand that's enough of that" Hiccup glared at his dad playfully before turning to Astrid "Ok I think we need to go and do... That thing"

"The thing?" Astrid raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know... The thing" he clearly indicated that he wanted an excuse to leave, but Astrid decided to torture him as revenge for the blushing incident.

"Oh right, the thing" she acted as if she was going along with his vague excuse. And, upon seeing the relief in his eyes, she smirked to herself "I think Heather said she and Ruffnut could deal with the thing"

"R- right. But we should go check and make sure they're... Getting the thing right"

"Well if it's that important to you I could go check for you. Wouldn't want to tear you away from your dad"

His face dropped and he got out through gritted teeth "I still think we should _both_ help. We'll see you in a few minutes dad" he walked Astrid away from his dad "Thanks for the help back there"

"You're welcome" she flashed him a cheeky smirk "That's what you get for making me blush"

"Point Astrid"

A feeling triumph rose within her. She looked around and noticed the twins joking around in the corner. Nostalgia hit her as she thought back on all the memories "Hey Hiccup, I'm just going to say goodbye to the twins real quick"

He nodded "I'll be with Toothless"

Astrid walked over to the two blonde siblings, who were arguing over some nonsense. It sounded like absolute gibberish to her, and she loved it

"You guys"

They both looked over at her, Tuffnut's face breaking into pure elation.

"Hoff! Just the girl I wanted to see!"

"You didn't think I could leave without saying goodbye to the two biggest muttonheads in the kingdom, did you?"

"You know Ast, this whole ordeal proves something"

"Oh yeah, what is that Tuff?"

"That I'm always right"

Ruffnut scoffed "How?"

"It was me who claimed she would be a princess by the end of the month! And look at where she is! About to leave and become a princess!"

"It's actually princess in training Tuffnut" a voice chimed in from behind her.

"Heather" Astrid beamed.

The raven haired princess walked over to the trio.

"You'll be great, I just know it. Go and kick butt at Princess training" she gave Astrid a quick hug "But remember to come visit"

"Of course" Astrid replied automatically

"I'm gonna miss you" Heather told her.

"I'll miss you too Heather"

"I still can't believe you're actually leaving" Ruffnut spoke up.

"It is pretty surreal. A part of me still thinks I'm about to wake up, and find myself still in bed or something" she laughed a little. "I'm glad you're all here. I had something I wanted to say to you"

The group looked at her expectantly.

"I just wanted to thank you guys, for everything. You've been with me for the last 10 years of my life. You've helped me when nobody else would. You've all been so kind to me and actually treated me like a normal person as opposed to the shamed disgrace everyone else saw me as. You're my friends, my family, and even though I'm really excited about being with Hiccup and becoming a princess" she briefly looked over at Hiccup, who was playing gleefully with Toothless "I'm really going to miss you all. I love you guys"

"Awww Astrid" Heather gave her another, longer, hug.

Astrid happily returned the hug and looked over at Ruffnut, who was staring at them hesitantly. She smiled kindly "Come here Ruff"

The two girls opened their arms and Ruffnut dove in cheerfully.

"And I'm here too!" Tuffnut weeped, throwing his arms around the group

As she hugged the only friends she'd ever had, in the only place she'd ever known, Astrid couldn't help but get emotional. This was new and it was change and it was terrifying. But she had a wonderful boyfriend to help her through the new problems and amazing friends that she could come back to no matter what. Tears welled in her eyes and she quickly pulled away.

"Okay well I'm gonna go before I actually start crying" she laughed tearfully "I love you guys"

She walked over to Hiccup. The Prince automatically noticed her watery eyes and looked at her concerned "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Yeah" she dabbed at her eyes "Just got a little emotional saying goodbye"

"You know you can have a few more minutes if you need-"

"No, that's okay. We probably should get going. I'm just gonna go make sure Stormfly's ready"

Just as she was about to leave, Heather walked over to the pair. She shot the Princess a questioning look.

"I'm just saying goodbye to Hiccup" Heather replied to the look pulling Hiccup into a hug.

"If you hurt her, _I hurt you_ " she hissed with a sugary sweet smile on her lips.

"Wouldn't dream of it" Hiccup responded instantly, unfazed by Heather's threat.

Astrid gave her a semi-disapproving look "Couldn't just leave the goodbye at 'I love you'?"

"To be fair, it's his goodbye not yours" Heather defended "Besides, I'm just being protective"

"I appreciate it" she said amusedly

"Now I'll say my final goodbye and leave it on 'I love you' so... Love you guys!" She yelled going back to others.

"Love you too!" Astrid yelled back, shaking her head and smiling.

Eventually, Astrid made her way over to her dragon. She nuzzled Stormfly's snout affectionately "Looks like you're finally getting that flight after all girl"

Stormfly sqauwked with glee.

Astrid looked around happily as she mounted onto Stormfly. Looking around the place she used to call home, Astrid knew she was ready to let go. This land was not her home. Not by her standards. Home is safety, trust and security. Where you truly feel as though you are protected and as if you are exactly where you should be, like you really belong. Astrid had not necessarily found a home in Beserker Island, but she had in Hiccup. He was her new home now.

She gave everyone one last wave before taking off to the skies.

Whilst she was on the flight back to Berk, something Heather said kept replaying in her mind.

 _'Princess in training'_

Astrid, Princess in training.

She smiled to herself.

That had a nice ring to it.

 _ **And now it really is officially over! This is so weird for me because this was my fanfiction for this fandom and it feels weird now that it's actually done! I'm so grateful to all of my readers! Thank you all for being so amazing and leaving such kind comments! I can't wait for you to read the sequel (a reader asked if it's still Hiccstrid and I can confirm it most definitely is)!**_

 _ **Now in terms of that second story I said I'd publish... As it stands there are equal votes on each side. So here's what I'm thinking. My plan was to publish both sets of stories on Friday. Maybe I can post a chapter that has nothing to do with the story, but gives a preview to each story (not necessarily first chapter/scene). That might help people decide.**_ _**I'll count the final votes and post the first chapter of the sequel as well as the new story on Friday. You'll just have to wait and see :)**_

 _ **Final fun fact: You'd think as a massive Astrid fan, as well as a huge hiccstrid shipper, my favourite scenes to write would be between Hiccup and Astrid. Don't get me wrong, they were a very close second but my favourite characters to write for were actually the twins. They were the base for so much comedy and I adored getting to explore the comedic**_ _**side of the story with them.**_ _**It was nice having them as a little stress reliever**_

 _ **As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)**_

 _ **Shohini :)**_


	13. Previews

**1.** **RTTE AU - Blessings in Disguise**

Exhausted, weak, worn out.

That's how Hiccup lay in his cell in the depths of the night. Viggo and Ryker's had been... Brutal, to say the least. Persistent with their questions and barely giving Hiccup a chance to breath, let alone answer. Still, Hiccup remained silent. Toothless was Thor knows where. This had meant to be a standard procedure stealth mission, but of course something had gone wrong. He'd been saving Camicazi from a hunter and inadvertently gotten himself captured in the process.

It had been hours since he'd seen Toothless and the knot in his stomach was completely unbearable. His arms were chained to the wall above his head, and they were aching like crazy. He wanted nothing more than to just escape but at that point in time he was completely and utterly helpless. There was nothing that could aid him for miles.

Hiccup was logical, he realized the guards would get him for questioning at some point and the cycle would begin again. He could figure out what to do once he was unchained. Plus, fatigue was beginning to get the better of him. Anything he planned would more than likely backfire. His plans had a habit of doing that even when he _wasn't_ tired.

The riders would come back for him. Or he'd find his way out. Either way, something good would happen. He'd been in enough insane incidents to know that, somehow, things always worked out in the end. But that could only happen if he kept a straight head. And he couldn't do that if with every passing second his eyelids got heavier.

Finally, giving in to his tiredness, his eyelids began to shut slowly. However this proved to be pointless as he was abruptly awoken by a distinct thudding noise.

Suddenly he felt something large nudge him. A sound of rustling could be heard from above him as begrudgingly opened his eyes. Much to his surprise, when he opened his eyes he was met with a similar emerald pair of staring right back at him.

Toothless?... _Toothless?!_

"H-hey bud!" he greeted, still unsure if he was hallucinating or not "W-what's going-"

"Shhhh!"

If he wasn't already awake before, he certainly was now. His head turned sharply to see a shadowy figure beside him. A torch in the corner of the cell dimly lit the cage, but not well enough for him to see who this person was.

"Who are-?"

"I said shhhh! Keep your voice down!" The person hissed.

They were definitely female. He knew that much.

"What are you doing?" he whispered

She glared in response "Do you not know how to be quiet?"

"Hey I whispered!" he insisted, still talking quietly "And you didn't answer my question"

"I'm" she paused to tug at his chains "Letting you go. But seriously, you gotta keep your voice down, a guard might hear you"

"I was-"

"Not quiet enough" she cut him off knowingly, her words barely audible. She finished loosening his chains "Now lets get you out of here"

His eyes narrowed "And how do I know this isn't a trap? How can I trust you?"

"Viggo quits when he's ahead. If he had a night fury in his grips, why would he jeopardise that?"

Hiccup processed the woman's words. What she said made sense. A big part of this battle was due to Viggo's obsession with Toothless and hunting him down. It was a fair point. Still, many questions stormed wildly around his brain.

"You work for Viggo?"

She nodded very reluctantly, something he couldn't help but mentally note.

"Why are you helping me?"

"You ask way too many questions" muttered somewhat angrily "Look, I don't like what Viggo does, okay? I hate it. So I try to help when I can"

It still didn't make sense to him "How can you work for Viggo and also-?"

"Long story. Don't have time to explain. Now come on!" she whisper-shouted, pulling him up roughly.

The woman dragged up to the deck hurriedly, desperate to get them off the ship. Hiccup looked back and noticed a guard laying on the ground, seemingly out cold. Confusion festered in him faster by the second.

Who was this person? And what was she capable of?

Eventually they got to the deck and Hiccup mounted Toothless. He still couldn't see his supposed saviour, the darkness entrapped her figure, leaving her as a mere mystery in his mind.

"Who are you? You still haven't said"

"It's better you don't know" she responded vaguely "And you can't tell anyone about my existence either. Promise me"

"I don't-"

"Promise!"

He noticed her desperation and gave in "Fine"

Now it was her turn for her eyes to narrow "Say it"

"Say what?"

"Say that you promise"

"I thought you didn't want me to talk any-"

"Just say it"

"I promise I won't tell anyone about your existence"

"Good"

"One more thing" he said quickly.

"I swear to Thor if you ask me one more question..." she mumbled with a threatening tone.

"It's not a question" he reassured "I just wanted to say thank you"

Her eyes widened, almost as if it was her first time hearing the phrase. She clearly wasn't used to it "O-oh. You're welcome"

She walked over to a small door before stopping. She looked over her shoulder at Hiccup. Despite the darkness, her eyes stuck out quite clearly. They had almost no emotions, yet they were screaming a million things. Her sapphire eyes pierced into him, it was an image he knew would stick with him.

And then she was gone. She had fled the scene as quick as she had arrived. Hiccup left the ship as quietly as he could.

Throughout the flight home, Hiccup tried to process. He'd raided Viggo's ships hundreds of times, and not once had he seen that girl. She helped the dragons, and clearly she knew what she was doing. After all, she had managed to gain Toothless's trust.

But still, how could you _work_ _for_ dragon hunters and then free them at every chance? It didn't make sense.

When Hiccup arrived at the Edge, unsurprisingly, everyone else was asleep. In fairness, it was the middle of the night, he couldn't say he expected anything else. In a way, it made his life easier. At least this way he had a chance to rest before being bombarded with a ridiculous amount of questions in the morning.

Making his way to his hut, Hiccup finally allowed his exhaustion to take over. He crashed onto his bed, falling asleep instantaneously.

However, throughout the night...

Those blue eyes remained in his mind.

 _ ***Quick issue with this story. I would love to involve both Astrid and Camicazi in this story. It's actually kind of key that they're both in it. However I know they both ride Stormfly. Who would you like to keep Stormfly? And what kind of the dragon would the other girl ride? What would you want the name to be?**_

xxxx

 **2.** **Modern AU - Accepting the Past**

Astrid smiled to herself as she noticed the name illuminating her phone screen.

 _'Hiccup'_

"Excuse me, miss?"

She looked up to see a rather angry middle aged man glaring at her.

"If it's not too much trouble, it would be nice for you to tear your eyes away from that damn phone and take my order"

Her grip tightened on her phone. She wasn't allowed to be rude to customers anymore (There was an incident - How else is she meant to respond when someone calls her 'lazy and inefficient'?).

"Sorry sir, I'm actually on my break. I'll see if I can find someone to help you" she said with a fake apologetic look on her face.

The blonde barista went to one of the fellow waitresses "Atali can you serve this man please? He clearly needs his coffee and I don't want to cut my break short for a jerk like that"

Atali nodded and automatically went to serve the grumpy man. Astrid shot a grateful smile in their direction before scurrying off. She wanted a place of peace and quiet, one where she could actually _hear_ what the person was saying on the other side of the phone. However, her break had unfortunately coincided with the coffe shop's rush hour. Eventually, after a lot of searching, Astrid settled on sneaking behind the building and taking the phone call there.

However, by the time she'd found the serenity she'd been previously craving, her phone had stopped ringing. She frowned to herself.

 _'Damn it.'_

Deciding to be bold, Astrid picked the 'call back' option. This was not her. Astrid never got nervous even thinking about boys, letting alone talking to them. Gods, what was Hiccup doing to her?

With every ring her anxiety rose. Luckily, that was short lived as he picked up almost instantly.

"Astrid, hey" he greeted cheerfully "I'm surprised you called back so quickly"

"Yeah sorry about that" she told him, genuinely apologetic this time "I wanted to answer but I had to deal with a grouchy customer"

"Oh yikes. Straight out rude or passive agressive?"

"Completely passive aggressive."

"Ouch, those are the worst"

"You're telling me. You should've heard him, should've seen him actually. I swear Hiccup, if looks could kill I'd be six feet under"

"But you'd use your axe to hack your way back to earth and yell at the guy for looking at you in that way and sending you six feet under in the first place"

She pondered over the statement for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter "I actually would"

"Thought so. What he was so annoyed about anyway?"

That was when the realization hit Astrid. She gasped dramatically "You!"

"Me?"

"This was your fault!" She yelled, more amusement than anger in her voice.

"Excuse me?"

"That customer was mad because I was on my phone. And who happened to be calling me at that very moment?"

"...Tuffnut?" came his rather reluctant response.

"Well I can see the similarities between the two, but nope not Tuffnut"

"Ruff?"

"Try again"

He sighed "Me?"

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!"

"Very funny" he said dryly.

"Well if you hadn't been calling me, I wouldn't have checked my phone and the customer wouldn't have gotten mad. Therefore, it is your fault" she stated in a mock matter-of-fact manner.

"Yes, because by some amazing superpower I saw you with a grumpy customer and decided to make your life worse. Just for the fun of it"

"I certainly wouldn't put it past you" She said playfully.

"I'm wounded that you think so little of me milady" he joked "W-wait! Did you say that I share similarities with Tuffnut?!"

"Oh you know what, I think I did. I can see them" she said smugly.

"Wha- How?!"

Truthfully, she couldn't think of any. But she liked getting Hiccup all worked up and frantic.

"I guess you'll just have to figure them out for yourself!"

"Take it back"

"Yeah, no, I'm good"

"Take it back!"

"So you don't want to have any similarities with Tuffnut? I wonder how he'll feel about that when I see him and tell you want to be nothing like him" she smirked.

"That is so not what I meant!"

"I think it is though"

"You're evil"

"You knew that going in! This is your own fault for being friends with me!" she exclaimed laughing again.

He was laughing too, it was music to her ears "You're also very good at twisting words"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" she dismissed, laughter dying down slightly "So what's up?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, you called for a reason right?"

"Oh! Oh right! Yeah!" He said clearly remembering something.

"The reason was...?"

"The reason! Right! The reason I called was to see if you wanted to come out with the gang and me. We were gonna go get some pizza from the new Italian place in town. I'm so swamped with lectures and assignments today I didn't think I'd get a chance to see you in person and ask"

"Wish I could" she said somewhat sadly "But it's Friday, remember?"

"Oh yeah, remind which job is the Friday job again?"

"Animal shelter"

"Right. Can you also remind me why you're eighteen and working like six jobs?"

"Five" she corrected.

"Because that's so much better" he deadpanned.

"It's less than six jobs" she defended "And I already told you why I work so many jobs. I've gotta pay for my flat somehow. The coffee shop barely pays half my rent. And on top of rent I have to pay my phone bill and buy enough food to survive the week along with other stuff"

"Damn"

"Yup. We don't all have dorms on campus that our parents pay for" she said as a half joke, but some small part of the sentence felt pointed

"Your parents would probably help you if you just asked"

Something in the air shifted as the conversation became more serious "You know I don't talk to my parents Hiccup"

Mainly because she doesn't have any. Well, she does, obviously. But with a crack head mother and a father who is Thor knows where in the world, they weren't exactly easy to access. Plus, she'd never secured a real family after that. Temporary families? More than she could count. Permanent? Not so much.

She knows she should have told Hiccup the truth. They've been friends for nearly six months now. But she just couldn't. It wasn't like she was ashamed of being part of the foster care system. She just didn't necessarily advertise the information. People had these really awful assumptions about foster kids, and she couldn't be bothered to deal with them. Not only that, but after the news is revealed everything becomes a big pity party. Everyone would see her for her traumatic past, rather than the person they've gotten to know now.

Hiccup would probably be amazing about it. He may turn things into a pity party at first. But he'd also be supportive and not push her to talk about anything she didn't want to talk about. And there was _a lot_ she didn't want to talk about.

The key word in that was _'probably'_. She didn't know for sure. If there was one thing she'd learnt growing up in, and aging out of, the system is that people were never what they seemed. And if Hiccup ended up not being what he seemed... That would just break her heart.

She wanted to tell him... She just couldn't.

"I know you don't talk to your parents but it's never too late to restart"

"I know but even if I wanted to talk to my parents, I don't think they'd particularly want to talk to me''

"Oh come on. You're their daughter. They still love you"

 _'Oh yeah my mom definitely loved me. So much so that she didn't even care when her abusive asshole boyfriends would... No Astrid, don't go there'_ She thought to herself, pushing back harmful memories.

"I know it sounds cliche, but if my dad and I can fix our relationship then-"

"Anyone can" she finished for him, rolling her eyes.

"Well, yeah"

"Not every family is like yours Hic" she smiled sadly.

Another sigh "I suppose that's true"

"Hey it doesn't matter, I'm perfectly fine without them" she smiled proudly. Astrid did like the life she'd built for herself.

"Perfectly fine?"

"Alright fine, not perfectly fine" she confessed "But well enough. Besides having five jobs is kind of cool, makes me very active in the community"

"Yeah, I bet it does" he snorted "Hey I have an idea"

"Oh yeah? What is that?"

"What if I visited you in the animal shelter?"

She froze momentarily, and she didn't know why "You'd do that?"

"Of course! I love helping animals!"

"What about pizza with the gang?"

"Eh we can go next week or something. I have a feeling you're in desperate need for company in the animal shelter"

"How did you know?" she gasped dramatically with fake shock.

"My instincts are just that sharp"

"Very impressive"

"I certainly think so" he paused "So what do you think?"

She thought over the idea for a brief moment "I don't see any reason why not"

"Great! I'll meet you outside the coffee shop at half past five?"

"Works for me" she nodded

"Cool! This should definitely be fun"

"Definitely" she agreed. She saw Atali gesturing for her to come back in. She sighed and held up a finger in response, signalling that she'd be a minute "Hey Hiccup, I've gotta go. My break's nearly up"

"Yeah my lecture's about to start anyway. See you later?"

"Yup. See ya" she confirmed hanging up

Hiccup was kind, caring, intelligent, loyal (And not to mention _really cute_ )... And he also liked helping animals?

Gods above help her.

 _ **So that obviously wasn't the first chapter, like the first preview. Hopefully that helped you figure out which story you want. And if it's story 1, please comment suggestions for the Stormfly issue!**_ _ **Comment 1 for RTTE and 2 Modern! I personally love both stories and will definitely be writing both at some point! Now it's just figuring out which comes first!**_ _ **As always please feel free to review! All feedback is appreciated (just make sure any criticism is written constructively)**_

 _ **Shohini :)**_


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